Got a Hunch About the Silent Noise?
by Rioki Moondove
Summary: 1st: The girls at 'Got a Hunch' Private Investigators have... well, a hunch. Someone is going to kill hundreds of people in Barcelona. Read as two crazy girls avoid the good, the bad and the fugly as they race to save lives... and not kill each other. OC
1. Prologue

Hello All! This is Rioki Moondove, writing up another story that has been sitting in my head.

For those of you who were hoping for an update on my other story, well... there is a little problem with my computer... and how it's not letting me look at anything I wrote over a year ago and everything I wrote during the past year is missing... including the update. As soon as this problem is fixed, I'll post the next chapter! ^.^

I would like to thank Pyro for inspiring me to write again... I already have the first 3 chapters and I started writing yesterday... SO REVIEW AND I'LL POST MORE!! O.o!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood, which this story takes place, nor to I own Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro or Psyren (I borrowed some elements from them, maybe a legion of bad guys...). I do own Gray (until her real name is revealed, that is what she's called), Jaz, Jen, Jim, and the amazing Sain.

_Flashback_

_'Thoughts'_

**_Sound effects_**

* * *

_**Prologue**_

_She couldn't breathe! Her fingers tried to pull the cord from her throat as his reflection in the glass table top started to go out of focus. The glare from the light made his eyes unreadable, but he still wore the smile he had when they had first met, as he choked the life from her. Her own reflection showed her face turning blue as she lost oxygen, her vision quickly closing-_

_**HOOOO! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!**_

The train jerked to a stop and her gray eyes opened to a pair of wide and startlingly lime green eyes staring into her own.

"You were having that nightmare again." The green eyed woman said as she sat up. She was small to be in her late teens but Gray knew better. The heart shaped face of Green eyes tilted slightly.

"So you just watched me have a nightmare?" Her eyes, not as wide as her friend's, narrowed and her ovalish head mocked Green's tilt.

"Well, I was going to wake you, but Jaz said not to because you hadn't been getting a lot of sleep lately, and then Jen said that sleeping through a nightmare was worse and then Jim said that we should start getting you sleeping pills… or therapy. And then we all argued about how bad therapy would be…"

Gray eyes listened to Green as she went through the conversation she had with her three 'friends' and then started a new one about how she wasn't telling the old one right.

"Nooo, Jaz. You said- don't interrupt me when I'm talking!"

"Sain?"

The Green eyed girl turned, her long black hair getting in the way.

"No, I'm not going to cut it-"

"Sain?" Gray said again, getting Sain's attention.

"Yesh?"

Gray stood up to pull a bag down from above their heads in the cabin before pulling out a comb. "How long 'til?" She asked as she began combing Sain's insanely long hair.

Sain got quiet for a moment, her full lips pursed together, before answering. "A little bit after the next stop."

The train started again as Gray eyes began braiding, the black hair contrasting against Gray's pale skin (but not as white as Sain's nearly translucent skin). "Well then, lets hope we have enough time to get off the train before it happens… whatever_ it_ is." The sun disappeared behind a cloud as the train carried off the two girls to their location… so they could stop the deaths of millions of people.


	2. Chapter 1: Watch Your Step

Welcome back... all one reviewers... This one's for you, Gene-Sama... ^.^

See first chapter for disclaimer please, because I am lazy...

Does Fanfiction want me to have a disclaimer for every chapter? I don't recall....

Oh yeah, before I forget, there will be excerpts from the book in later chapters... I'll have them in bold so you know. I'm not following the book's series of events, nor that of the manga or anime. I'm just putting it together how I feel it should be together...

* * *

Chapter 1 Watch Your Step

The water in the facet was too cold for her liking but she didn't want to wait any longer for it to heat up. The train was due in fifteen minutes and if Sain was right (and she always was), they would have less than a minute to-

The train was picking up speed. Make that less than ten…nine? She was never good with timing.

She slashed the water in her face and into her hair before shaking like a dog. Her brown hair fluffed up after she took a towel to it and when she ran a comb through the pixie length locks, she called it done. The water dripped down the back of her neck, making her shiver. Her arms wrapped her admittedly small bust. She made a dismayed face as she tugged on the waist band of her jeans. She had lost weight during her last-

_**CRASH!**_

"JAZ! STOP IT!"

Gray eyes sighed before opening the door. 'Jaz' had knocked over one of their suitcases, spilling Sain's stuff everywhere. Sain was picking through them as she tried to find an outfit.

"You're still not dressed?" Sain stuck her tongue out at Gray eyes before continuing her search.

"You're pestering me while wearing _that_?" Gray looked down at what she wore, a faded gray tank top and jeans over combat books.

"What's wrong with it?" Sain opened her mouth to give 40 plus reasons before Gray cut her off. "Never mind, no one will see it with the trench coat over it. And no," She started again as Sain's mouth remained opened. "I'm not getting rid of my coat." She bent over to start putting things away, afraid someone might stick their head in their compartment and make a ruckus. She had a moment of panic when one of the 'toys' Sain had was missing a pin, but then found the Acme sticker on it.

The trained slowed as it arrived at Sants Estacio's Platform 3 in route to Rome.

Sain pulled on her clothes (Gray begged her not to wear her usual style of dress, saying it was too heavy) and her ridiculous multi-colored top hat, stuffing her braided hair inside before holstering her 'fifth best friend', Vera, and a long coat, far more stylish than Gray's blue trench. Gray eyes scrambled to finish putting her wig and scarf on to obscure her face. Sunglasses went on both of them before they picked up their luggage and left the compartment, shoving their way through the crowd.

"There's a fire alarm switch on the wall over there." Gray eyes pointed so Sain knew which direction. "Pull it and then get out." She reached into her pocket to pull out a cylindrical device that fit in her gloved palm.

"If anyone asks, 128 seconds." Sain said as they tensed for the opening of the doors. "3, 2-" The doors opened and the two girls slipped through before Gray eyes pushed the button on the top of the mysterious device. The doors slammed shut before deadlocking. No one was leaving the train after them. Everyone on the train was safe. Gray pocketed the device, picked up Sain's luggage, side stepped, and then dropped them on the floor.

Sain raced to the end of the platform, launching herself over the turnstiles before breaking open a glass box on the wall with her elbow. She pulled the fire alarm as one of the security guards approached Gray eyes.

Gray had not moved an inch after she dropped the luggage. People knew something was wrong, whether it was the unmoving woman in suspicious clothing, the fire alarm going off or the train full of people trying to get off and failing, Gray didn't much care. They were leaving.

"Miss, can I help-"

She turned to look at him, her sunglasses making her gray eyes seem black. "I have a bomb." She said it louder than she needed too, assumedly to be heard over the alarm, and more people rushed out of the station.

"WHAT?!" He seemed flabbergasted for a moment before pulling out his gun and aiming it at her. "How long-"

"128 seconds and counting… I would run if I were you." She turned to the people closest to her, too terrified to run. "And could you do it without screaming? I don't need the headache."

* * *

Meanwhile, Sain had dashed out of the platform, almost glad she had let Gray talk her into wearing her old (and very unfashionable) t-shirt and jeans (the jeans had to rolled up because of their height difference) and began to pass an old man when-

"YOU?!" She pointed at him; he ignored her.

Which was one of his many mistakes.

Sain's fist connected with the old man's face, sending him back into the 'safe zone'. "YOU B*****D!!" She pulled the tie on her coat, revealing her AK-47, aka, her 'fifth best friend'. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!" People were streaming past her, some screaming about a 'Bomb', the alarm making it hard to hear..

"Um, excuse me, Miss?" Sain turned to the speaker. It was a man- Tall man (all men seemed to be tall to her 4'9" self) - with long silver hair and round, milk bottle glasses. He was dressed in a priest's cassock and a gun was in his hand, but he held his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "That man is my- Huh?" He blinked and pulled down one of his hands to wipe his nose. The fingers came away bloody.

"Abel-" A black haired woman raced toward them, a group of men in hot pursuit.

_Ding!_ Sain's mental clock hit zero. "Oh snap- HIT THE DECK!" She dove to her belly as cracks appeared in the floor. The black haired woman tripped over one of them before the silver haired priest pushed her to the ground and covered her. The cracks seemed to spread and vibrate before their eyes.

* * *

The Gray eyed woman waited until everyone was headed toward the exit before running too, her legs pumping as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up one by one. Cracks began appearing in the floor as the feeling of doom settled over her. A teen tripped over one of the cracks, nearly falling on his face before Gray eyes caught him- and the ceiling came down.

* * *

Please, PLEASE review! My creative demons are feeling over worked by doing dishing out 4 chapters in one day and another the next. They demand nourishment!!! They feed on Reviews!!!


	3. Chapter 2: Marsquakes?

See Disclaimer on Prologue...

Oh, things in bold are taken directly from the book.... word for word... . The book was written by Sunao Yoshida, who was a great writer. He will be missed.

* * *

**_Chapter 2_**

**_ Marsquakes?_**

"**Th-this is…?"**

**Then, the very air howled.**

**A thrumming noise rumbled, vibrating through their bodies and something violently shook the corridor. The floor twisted; the windows burst. They could hear the sound of tremors causing pillars to crack. Suddenly, the walls trembled like living things.**

"**Earthquake?" The black haired woman murmured.** The old man started to whimper.

"**Keep your head down! Please, lie flat!"** The silver haired Priest began as plaster started to fall on his head. Suddenly the old man dashed to his feet and ran into the 'danger zone'. "Hey! Wait!"

"Oh, he's dead now." Sain said from where she lay on the floor. 3, 2,- "It's too late."

The shaking continued as though it would last forever, **though in reality it lasted about thirty seconds. Suddenly, the earth tremors became inaudible. The vibrations stopped as quickly as they had started.**

"**That was a big earthquake." **The Priest said as he started to rise again. Sain snorted, causing him to look at her. The alarm had died, possibly the quake broke something.

Suddenly she had a question. "Do they have earthquakes on mars? Do they call them Marsquakes?"

**His eyes- the color of a winter lake- widened. **"Excuse me-?"

"**It's strange." **The dark haired woman didn't hear their conversation as she** peeked through a broken window.** The Priest turned to her, but kept looking back at Sain.

**The streetlights in the city still were shining, and the carriages and automobiles came and went normally. There wasn't a single broken branch among the green trees lining the roads. Passersby were shouting to each other excitedly and pointing at the station.**

"**It seems like this building was the only one affected," **the woman said. Sain rose to her feet and began brushing off her outfit.

"**That's crazy! If that wasn't an earthquake… That's it! Barrie!" Having remembered his duty at last, the Priest sprang up. He stumbled over the cracks in the floor as he made his way to the exit.**

**He pushed open the doors. "Eh?"** From where Sain was shaking her coat, he seemed to freeze, staring at **where the platform should have been.**

**The last train to Rome should have been there: passengers should have been scurrying to board as family members wished them goodbye. Instead, there were the ruins of a fallen ceiling **and a single **red pool of blood leaking from the mountain of garbage** closest to the door.

But that wasn't all. On the very top of the biggest pile of rubble was a woman with straight, hot pink hair, her eyes and mouth obscured by sunglasses and a scarf. Under her arm was the scared teen, his pants wet from his near death experience.

**Sants Estacio's Platform 3 had been destroyed. **

The silver haired man stared for a moment, dumbstruck as Gray eyes carefully made her way down the rumble.

"YOU B***H!" The security guard from earlier was back. "Your bomb-"

"Fugly man, did that feel like a bomb to you?" Sain asked him. He turned to back talk her and was greeted with the muzzle end of Vera.

"Wha?!" The Priest was still a little shocked, trying to put the pieces together. "Wait- Wha? Bomb?"

"Abel!" The black haired woman called as the men chasing her earlier, the old man's goons, scurried off. "Where's Barrie?"

Gray pointed to the pile where the blood was coming from. "Sorry, couldn't get to him in time while carrying him." She dropped the teen when she reached the floor; he curled into a ball before sobbing. Gray made her way to the luggage, picked them up and started walking back. Sain would never forgive her if she left them behind.

One of the other guards pointed his gun at Sain. Which was a big mistake. Worst than Barrie ignoring Sain.

Gray walked toward the guard with the gun, her hands occupied with the suitcases, ignoring the Priest as she walked past.

"Hey! That's close enough! Don't come any closer or I'll shoot." He warned. Sain kept her gun on the first guard who insulted Gray.

Gray dropped the bags and placed her hands in her pockets. She gave a soft smile before hairline but deep cuts appeared, seemingly by magic, on the guard. He cried out as blood sprayed upward and he crumbled in pain. The cuts were deep and painful, but not life threatening.

The station stared in disbelief.

"Where to next?" Sain asked, as if this happened every day.

"To Jail!" The black haired woman said, taking her stance as she faced Gray. Gray, for her part, looked totally relaxed.

"Miss Noélle, I don't think-" The Priest finally came back to himself.

"You will die." Sain suddenly said. She said it with such clarity that all turned to her. She was looking straight at Noélle.

"In seven days?" Gray asked. Beneath her scarf she smiled slightly, making light of the situation.

Sain turned to look at her. "Nope, tomorrow… She'll be looking for something…." She faded away, as though she lost her train of thought.

"And then the ceiling will fall on her?" Gray gestured to the sky with her head, the ceiling of the platform gone.

"Ahhh… yesh. That's exactly what happens?" Sain blinked, as though suddenly unsure.

"Wh-what makes you think that?" the Priest asked softly. The platform was eerily quiet.

Sain bit her lip and looked down in thought, then lowered her gun and placed her free hand on her hip, turning her head to the ceiling. It was hard to take her seriously with her child-like looks. "Uhhh…."

"Call it a hunch." Gray answered. "I think Dominic Pharmaceuticals ooooooorrr…" She blinked as if unsure. "Huh?... uh, another place?" Her tone told that she probably smiling nervously under her scarf.

"'Another place'? Useless!" Sain yelled at Gray.

Gray mocked being hurt by the other girl's words as she picked up their belongings again. "Well memorizing is HARD!! You don't do it!" The tone of the situation had turned from deathly serious to something akin to whining over a favorite toy.

"We should leave." Sain said suddenly. "Now is good-"

"Oh no you-" Noélle and security moved to stop them, but the two women were just an instant quicker. Sain leapt at Gray, who caught and threw her over her shoulder before running, jumping and climbing through the rubble of Sants Estacio's Platform 3. The security guards quickly fell behind due to being inactive and Noélle because of bad footing. Gray quickly vaulted the wall; her last glimpse of the ruined station was of the silver haired Priest staring up at her.

She landed on a Taxi that was driving by. The driver pulled to a stop when he heard the 'thud' of their landing and they quickly jumped off.

"Hey-" Gray handed him a fist full of bills and climbed into the cab after tossing in Sain. "Cheap hotel please." She said as she climbed in.

* * *

Seriously guys, no update until I get at least 1 review. Give me 5 and I'll review that hour (if I have internet access... I don't think I'll be able to update on a plane)!! You don't even have to sign in!! I allow Anonymous reviews!!!


	4. Chapter 3: Buildings

Okay, we'll try one more time.. I WANT REVIEWS!!!

I need one review to update! I HAVE THE NEXT CHAPTER!!

If it takes 3 more days to get a review, I'll be siccing Sain on you!!!

Oh and today the Mysterious Gray Eyes gets a name!! ^.^

Disclaimer: I own Gray, Sain, Doorman Will and I think that's it in this chapter... All other characters are property of Sunao Yosida. Everything in bold I took straight from his book "Rage Against the Moons/ Volume 2: Silent Noise".

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Chapter 3

Buildings: B is for Breakable

"Aren't you the least bit worried about that prediction?" Abel asked after he swallowed before stuffing his face full again. **He'd stuffed so much **_**paella**_** in his mouth that his cheeks puffed out. He grasped forkfuls of grilled sausage in each hand. In addition, there were five lunch sets lined up on the narrow table. (Inside the shop, the waitresses dressed in colorful folk costumes were watching him anxiously.) No matter how sincere his expression, it was very hard to take him seriously.**

"Not a bit." Noélle said defiantly. The two had followed the mysterious girls until late that night. They didn't go to Dominic Pharmaceuticals like they said they were. Nor did they stay in the cheap hotel that the taxi driver had dropped them off at. "The two probably wore wigs. Just take off their scarves, glasses and other outer clothing and they could be anywhere." She paused as she took a bite of the baked bread before continuing. **"The police investigation didn't find any trace of an explosive device. They say what happened was in line with the station building's age…. Abel, are you listening?"**

"**Of course I'm listening, Sister Noélle…"** He paused as he looked off into the distance. "If those girls hadn't been there, what would have happened?"

Noélle hesitated before answering. "Because of their bomb scare and whatever they did to the train," the train had been delayed for an hour as they cut new doors into the steal. Whatever they had done to the doors made it nearly impossible to open them again, "may have actually saved around 200 people."

'_**Two hundred lives, two hundred minds, two hundred-'**_Abel shook his head to get out of his sobering thoughts. "So they're not bad guys?"

"They ran." Noélle pointed out, both with her words and her fork. "That at least makes them suspicious."

"Whatever happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'?" Abel countered, expertly **peeling the shrimp simmering in the steaming broth. **

"You just like them because they saved everyone." The AX (the Vatican City's Foreign Affairs) ex-agent once known as Mistress smiled knowingly.

"Well, they did take a great risk themselves-"

"Enough!" She glowered at him. "A girl doesn't like it when she isn't the center of attention." She said with a wink. "Especially when the subject of the conversation is another girl!" Then she became serious. "They did have the right idea though. What happened yesterday has happened 5- 6 if you count yesterday- times in the last 2 weeks. All of those hit were against Dominic Pharmaceuticals."

"So you think that there's some connection?"

"**Maybe." Noélle tilted her head slightly and rested her chin on her laced fingers. She spoke in an angry tone, which was rare for her. "What's the modus operandi? There were no traces of explosives, and these incidents weren't earthquakes. Whatever they used to make a single large building collapse-"**

"**And who's the criminal? The prime suspect is Barrie,** but if we believe the two girls," he didn't have to elaborate who he was talking about, "then he was killed yesterday."

"**There lies the problem…"**

'_**I heartily agree.'**_

Noélle sighed before continuing. "Maybe we should follow the girls' schedule. **I think I'll show my face at the company. If I try fishing around in the director's office, something might come up."**

The two argued for a little longer about which one of them should really go before Noélle won. As the voluptuous nun walked away with the serious expression of a capable career woman, and left the restaurant in a rhythmic, no-nonsense stride, she had no idea what was about to befall her teammate… or herself.

* * *

Gray eyes sneezed right before slashing water on herself. She grimaced as the water flew were she didn't want and toweled off her face and hair.

"You're getting si~ick." Sain said in a sing-song voice, drawing out the 'I' in 'sick'. The small girl was laying upside down on the bed, glad to be back in her 'normal attire': her gothic style short dress, complete with petticoats earned her many looks; which just made it easier for them to do their job… most of the time.

"Nah, only one sneeze… someone's probably talking about me." Gray said as she started combing her hair. Sain hopped off the bed and started tugging on Gray's waist band.

"Do my hair next! Do mine-!?" She looked down in shock at how wide the pants were on her friend. "Mar-!"

Gray sighed. "I know! I know!"

"You're already too skinny." Sain reached up and poked Gray in the chest. Gray 'eeked' and jumped back from the 'pervy Lolita'. "You're going to turn into a washboard at this rate! Look!" Sain lifted both arms over her head and turned to give a better profile. "Mine are already bigger."

Gray sweat dropped. "Yes, and I'm the Pope's mother." She scowled at the tiny girl before pointing to the bed. "Get over there or I won't do your hair!"

Sain gave a small shriek before running and jumping on the bed. Gray grimaced before taking a safety pin and making the waistband of her jeans comfy to her again.

"Now," she said as she traveled the lush carpet of their penthouse to her friend's bed. "How do you want it?"

* * *

The withered doorman of Dominic Pharmaceuticals smiled as Noélle approached. Most men did.

"Good afternoon, Señora Bor."

"Good afternoon, Señor Will. How many times must I tell you to call meNoélle?"

Will smiled again as he opened the door.

* * *

-"Do you read me?"- Gray tapped one of the studs in her ears.

-"Yesh."- Sain's voice was clear, even though there was a building between them. From the sound of her breathing, she was probably still on her way to the roof.

-"You have Red Queen, yes?"-

-"Of course! Jim wouldn't let me leave without it!"-

Gray smirked. And suddenly frowned. Her sigh was audible.

-"Ere?"-

-"That girl from yesterday…"-

-"The dark haired chica?"- Sain sighed. –"She's there."- It was a statement, not a question. –"I don't suppose we could let her di-"-

-"Does she seem familiar to you?"-

-"Ere? Oh! Opening in 3, 2,"-

Gray dashed forward and slipped through the door while the doorman was opening the door of a car. The easy part was over.

* * *

The fire alarm was going off. She had no idea why, because her third eye didn't see any fire, nor did she smell any smoke. She continued to look through the stack of papers without hesitation.

"**Noélle, get out of the city!"** Noélle was looking through some plans that she had pulled out of the safe. Abel's voice was shouting in her ear, though he was really miles away. **"Noélle! The city is in danger!"**

"**Wait, there's one more page from the plans," Noélle said**, reaching for said page and holding it to her face. **"No way, that building is-"**

"**Never mind that! Hurry, get out of here!"**

"**Why are the plans in a place like this? Listen, Abel! Now-" Noélle's breathless voice was suddenly cut off.** The building began to quake around her, a repeat of what happened yesterday at the train station.

"_You will die."_

"Oh my Lord!" Noélle sent a prayer up to heaven as she dashed through the door- and suddenly knew no more as she was struck in the head with a piece of the falling ceiling.

* * *

_Noélle Bor was six when her house burnt to the ground. That incident had changed her life forever. There was a serial arsonist on the loose in her hometown, but she didn't think that her house would be the next target. _

_And never on the night she wasn't supposed to be home._

_She huddled in the corner of the tile tub, unsure if her parents knew she was there as flames consumed the door to the bathroom. She'd probably die from the smoke first, she thought._

_Coming through the door was becoming impossible now- Right as she was giving up hope of being rescued, the door burst open. A woman stood in the doorway, gray eyes like liquid pools, unafraid of the fire licking at her skin. _

"_Noélle?" The woman smiled, making six year old Noélle smile. This woman was nice, and her newly awakened visual empathy confirmed it. "Want to go?" Little Noélle nodded, before being swept up by the woman and wrapped in a wet blanket so that she wouldn't get burned. She turned to go, carefully navigating through the debris of the burning building. "Sain!?" She suddenly called, worried. "SAIN?! ARE YOU OUT?!"_

"MAR!!! MAR?!? ARE YOU OUT?!"


	5. Chapter 4: Some Days

Okay, I lied... I want two reviews... or more... before I update again... I probably won't be able to update tomorrow or Saturday anyway...

Thank you, ., for Reviewing!! ^.^

Oh and Harpmaker... . Thanks too...

Disclaimer: I own Sain, Jen, Jaz, Jim AND Mar (once known as Gray Eyes). Everyone else belongs to Sunao Yosida. Things in bold are his words.

.... I had to edit this twice... once because my friend (who is published) had some suggestions and then I realized that Sain's words need to be bleeped a bit...

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Chapter 4

Some Days…

**The Dominic Pharmaceuticals building in the west was collapsing.**

**As if triggered by that, buildings beside the Dominic Company office started crumbling. Like milk poured into coffee, white smoke billowed into the darkness of the town itself. Harbor and church, market and main street, ramshackle homes of the poor and mansions of the rich- everything was being destroyed. The work of millions of lives and a few thousand years was morphing into a mountain of rubble, destroyed by a low rumble. The reality was so harsh that it seemed surreal.**

"'**He who sees beauty is taken early by the hand of Death'-Plato. What did you think of this evening's performance, Father? I hope you enjoyed it."** A man in a crisp black suit and long hair spoke softly into the Sagrada Familia. All the destruction in sight was his doing. He looked upon it and was glad.

The one other person in the Sargrada Familia changed before his sight. His eyes were **stained the color of blood** and his hair floated upward, no longer held down by gravity as the strands crowned his head. The Dark Angel **let loose an ominous scream, cursing the world. A tremendous spray of blood seemed to soak the very air of the church as** what was once the silver haired priest **tore everything in his path to pieces.

* * *

**

Moments before the other buildings around Dominic Pharmaceuticals _should_ have been falling due to the machine known as the Silent Noise (the cause of the platform wreck and the creation of the man in the black suit), they actually blew up. The majority of the people in the buildings fled when they got a call that their house would explode, but others ignored the warnings. The buildings they were in collapsed around them.

Sain had watched the destruction while playing on her laptop, coordinating the explosions so they were timed correctly. As the last few buildings began to fall, she closed the computer, her work done. Her lime green eyes turned toward the Sagrada Familia; it was time to go there.

* * *

The Dark Angel's second cry, this one of defeat, was still echoing throughout the old church as Sain entered the lift to the organ pipe at the top. The cry signaled the end of the battle of Barcelona. Who was the victor was still to be determined.

She stepped out of the elevator carefully in order not to trip over the too long pants that she wore. Mar had said that she didn't want them to be memorable, though Sain was still debating with Jaz, Jen and Jim whether or not pants that were clearly too long was just as noticeable.

Before her, huddled on the ground and quietly sobbing, was the silver haired priest of last night, no more the Angel of Destruction. He looked up at her once, opened his mouth to speak but words seemed to fail him. He turned back to cry on his hands and knees.

"Honestly."

He looked up in surprise at her tone. "Wha?"

Sain stomped up to the crouched man, a scowl on her face. "People die buddy."

His eyes hardened, and his sorrow quickly turned to anger. "Just what are you saying?"

Sain sighed and flicked a stay strand of hair out of her face before putting her first two fingers to her forehead. "Really? I have to spell it out to you?" She paused for a moment and his answer was angered silence. "Well then, you better listen." The small girl knelt down so that they were eye to eye before poking him in the forehead. "People die. Hey! I said listen to me. I'm not done yet." She cut him off when his mouth opened. He glared at her but let her continue. "Now, hopefully, people die, sleeping in their bed after living a fruitful life of a hundred plus years. Because this is a fallen world, this is hardly ever the case. Now, you have two options on how you respond to this: One, you act like you don't care; B, like you do. If you do care, there are even more options for you: A, prevent them from dying; two, hunt down the sons of b***hes who kill people, or thirdly, join a convent.

"Since people dying seem to be a tender spot for you," That statement earned her a glare that probably could have pealed paint. "I suggest that you join a convent."

He blinked at her, giving his mind enough time to catch up.

"I think you're supposed to tell me to hunt down who did this." He said, sitting up.

"You?" She looked incredulous. "Someone who falls to his knees and starts crying after a hardship? The dead don't need your tears because according to your religion," She pointed to the crucifix he wore. "They're either in a far better place or rotting in hell. Tears are reserved for the living." She poked him in the head again to emphasis her point. "If you must cry, do it when you have time, when the lives of the living aren't at stake. _Barcelona greatly resembles Rome, does it not?_" she stressed her last sentence, hoping that would spur him into action.

He looked startled. "That man said that too." He said as he began to rise.

"Son of a b***h, stealing my lines before I say them…" Sain muttered to herself. Jaz, of course, had a response to that. "No, they were my lines, not his."

She turned, catching the silver haired Priest staring at the destruction of Barcelona. "Some days people die." She said softly. He nodded, but the tears still came.

His back was to her, so he didn't see her devilish smile.

"And some days…" She trailed off as her feet twirled her around for a bit. He turned to look at her strange dance before the sound of the lift reaching the top again reached his ears. He spun to look and his winter blue eyes widened in shock.

Mar stepped off the elevator, a few cuts added red to her pale skin and her clothes, covered in dust, were ripped almost beyond repair (Sain wasn't even going to try). She was carrying an unconscious woman with black hair piggyback.

"I think she hit her head when the ceiling fell. Hopefully there won't be any long lasting damage. Thought I should take her here before the hospital so you'd know not to freak out… her radio isn't working." Mar calmly explained as she strode forward.

"……..And some days, no body dies."

This time his tears were of joy.

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REVIEW!!!


	6. Chapter 5: Fwoosh and Zoom

YAY!! I got another review!!! ^.^ And it's from my awesome new roommate!! ^.^

Actually, all my roommates are awesome, which makes me super excited for the new year, but the one who review is currently at the top...

TWO REVIEWS FOR UPDATE!!!

Disclaimer: I own Sain, Mar, Jim, Jen, Jaz, Robyn, and Monico... and this plot.... ^.^ Everything else belongs to the Creator of Trinity Blood.

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Chapter 5

Fwoosh and Zoom

The three of them worked through the night to dig out those who ignored the two girls' warnings and stayed in the buildings. Thanks to the 'mysterious' explosions that happened moments before the Silent Noise took out the buildings surrounding Dominic Pharmaceuticals, the people inside were not killed, though they had several close calls and many of them were in surgery all night.

"This has to be a miracle." Someone who had escaped from the building said as he helped them unearth another man from the wreckage. This one had a compound fracture, the bone peaking through the skin made Abel grimace.

"I always felt that C-4 was…" Sain, or Fwoosh as she introduced herself to Abel, said softly as she dug another person out. "Fwoosh! You're free!" She exclaimed as their head was unearthed. The woman coughed and spluttered before crying out in joy.

"That's the last one." Mar, currently Zoom, said as she came back from directing the Fire Department.

"Sounds like we should make our exit." Fwoosh (Sain) said as she stumbled on the way down from the rubble.

"Hey! Wait!" Abel nearly tripped over his lanky legs as he ran over to them. "The Silent Noise-"

"Is already on its way to Rome." Zoom (Mar) told him. "You already have a free pass when it comes to wandering around the City Closest to God." She looked at him, her sunglasses making it hard to figure out her real eye color. "Unless you can get us into the Vatican, no questions asked, we'll have to make our own opening."

"Zoom, if we wait any longer, we'll miss our train!" Fwoosh said as she walked over to the unblocked street to hail a cab. "Our luggage is already on board, yes?"

"Yes, I had the hotel service do that for us."

Abel nearly sweat-dropped. "So you weren't in a cheap hotel?"

The two looked at each other then at him. "Whatever gave you that idea?" They said in unison, a blank look on both faces. A cab drove up then and the two mysterious girls departed, leaving the worried Priest on his own.

* * *

"Um… How exactly are we going to get in there again?" Sain asked as they boarded the train.

Mar winked, one of her few moments of total playfulness. "Don't you already know?"

Sain blinked, then cocked her head to the side. "Well- Oh, DON'T ANSWER IT!!-"

Mar's phone rang. She lifted it up to see who was calling before grimacing. "Damned if we do-"

"Our guts all over Rome if we don't."

Mar answered, trying to fake a smile. "Hello Moni. How are you?"

There was silence for a moment before 'Moni' replied. "Did you see the news?"

"What news?" Mar was already sweating. Sain started talking with Jaz, Jen and Jim about how to kill all the reporters who might have ratted them out.

"Well, apparently, there were these two girls that got off your train and caused all sorts of chaos throughout the city… half the city is gone because of them!

"The most interesting part is that only one person died." His tone was accusing.

"Wow, that's very interesting… I'd love to talk more about it, but there appears to be a tunnel-" Sain pulled out a piece of paper she got just for this and crinkled it up to the receiver. "Can't- Breaking- Gotta-" She hung up before turning to Sain again. "This is why we have the main branch in Albion. They can't kill us instantly from here."

"He'll send Rob~yn…" Sain said in a sing song voice. They both cringed.

* * *

Monico Garica, a chubby looking, balding, 50 plus man of Spanish descent frowned as the receiver went dead. The girls were up to something. "They're supposed to be on vacation."

A girl of 5'5" stepped in, her blonde hair up in pigtails and her blue eyes slightly magnified by the square-framed glasses she wore. "Shall I go… retrieve them, sir?" The secretary of 'Got A Hunch' Investigators' main branch had folders under one arm.

"Hmm…" The manager leaned back in his chair, placing his feet on his desk. "They're done causing mischief, right Robyn?"

Robyn Areneau shook her head before handing over the folders. The first one had satellite pictures of Barcelona. Moni wasn't kidding when he said that half the city was gone. "They're calling it an act of terrorism."

Moni cursed. "Do they know that the girls were involved?"

"After their stunt in the Train station, they have targets on their backs. If they hadn't had disguises on at the time, we'd probably have people already here."

"Arresting all our asses…." He sighed. If they really were in trouble, the girls would have called. "The Empire Branch doesn't have this problem…" He closed the first file and pushed it aside before looking at the second. The sight of the Manila paper made him catch his breath. It was old and well used and he had seen it several times in the past. None of them were good.

After a moment of hesitating, he opened it. It was full of laminated hand drawn pictures, the artwork looking like it had been done by a child, which it had. He flipped through them to the one earmarked. He looked at the picture and then turned to the first file, pulling out the picture of Barcelona. The two were identical, but the one drawn had a date: yesterday.

Moni cursed again. "How'd we miss that?!"

"We were working on the Mytiso case. It's understandable."

She turned the page in the second file, revealing the next picture. Moni gasped before kissing his Rosary and crossing himself. He looked up at Robyn, suddenly realizing what she was wearing. Usually the slight girl would be wearing her uniform, but today she was in a black tank top, camo cargo pants, combat boots and armed to the teeth.

"Did you raid Ms. Sain's closet? With the weapons, I mean?"

Robyn shook her head. "These are mine." She turned and started to walk out the door.

"Wait." For someone who looked as he did, Moni was amazingly agile. "Can we stop at my place to pick up my stuff? Then we'll book the first flight to Rome."


	7. Chapter 6: Eyes of a Hawk

You guys are catching up to what I have written! A day may come that by the time I'm done writing a chapter, I'll have to upload it!

Disclaimer: um, check last chapter? Oh! The stuff in bold today is from the Manga and not the light novels.

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Chapter 6

Eyes of a Hawk

Noélle was still out when Cardinal Caterina Sforza, the Duchess of Milan, the head of the Ministry of Holy Affairs, and leader of the department's special operations group (the AX Agency), called Abel back to Rome. He made a weak protest, but he knew that the Silent Noise was on its way, if not already, there.

"If these girls that you spoke of hadn't shown," She said over the com. "The Cardinals would have probably issued a public statement that the damage in the station was due to its age and the city to Barrie. But now they think that there is an entire cell and the girls are a part of it." She paused before continuing. "They believe that the girls used the machine to save Barrie but ended up killing him."

'Fwoosh' and 'Zoom' were right. There was no way they were getting into Rome without an opening. "They said they were coming to Rome." He reminded his superior.

"I'm very curious on how they would do that."Caterina said, a lighter tone in her voice. "I'd like to hire them if they pull it off."

He tried to laugh. Though the city of Barcelona was very damaged, the fact that it could have been a lot worse and only one person had died (who would have probably faced the death sentence in Rome) was the silver lining.

He picked up a newspaper as he settled into his seat on the train. He was used to traveling like this, though he was impatient to return. The fastest way would have been on the Iron Maiden II, but Kate, the AX agent who was the Captain of the airship, was needed in Rome for the return of Archbishop Alfonso. The Archbishop, brother of the last Pope and uncle to Lady Caterina, Duke and Cardinal Francesco di Medici, and the current Pope, Alessandro XVIII, was returning to Rome after ten years.

"Lady Caterina, did Origa Anchova really agree to sing during the mass?" Origa was a famous singer with a heavenly voice. Last he heard, Origa was booked for another two years and could not make it.

"Oh yes, she suddenly called last night and asked if there was still an opening for her." There was a pause on the other end. Someone was speaking. "I'll have to go Abel. We'll speak when you're back in Rome." Abel smiled nervously as the line went dead. He knew that chance was not on their side when it came to finding the Silent Noise in time, but he couldn't bring himself to despair.

'_For the first time in a long time, I feel hope.'

* * *

_

"Oh yes, she suddenly called last night and asked if there was still an opening for her."** In the place our weary traveler seeks, a place almost like heaven, waits a lady for his return, a lady almost like a Goddess. **Cardinal Caterina Sforza peered out of her monocle and through her window of the Vatican State Affairs Office, commonly called the "Palazzio Spada". Her golden hair was weighted heavily with curls and her steel gray eyes were sharper than any sword. She had once said that while the enemies of the Vatican may be many and persistent, she was diligent (Abel had also once said that she had the ears of a bat and the eyes of a hawk).

"Lady Sfoza?" Someone knocked on the door of her lavish office. "Ms Anchova is here to see you."

'_I believe there is a phrase for this, (1)' _Caterina thought before she spoke to Abel again. "I'll have to go Abel. We'll speak when you're back in Rome." She clicked off the com before responding to those at the door. "Enter."

Loretta, another nun that worked for Caterina came into the room with none other than Origa Anchova and two women accompanying her. The four of them curtsied to the Cardinal before coming further into the room.

"Ms. Anchova, Archie and Minsy, this is Cardinal Caterina Sforza, the Duchess of Milan, and the head of the Ministry of Holy Affairs. Lady Caterina, this is Origa Anchova," The woman was tall and lean, with a prominent nose that assisted in her tone. "Archinbald Honeyduke III," this one was about 5'9" and almost too skinny, her black hair was done up in a severe bun and her eyes were hidden under dark sunglasses. "And Minsy." Minsy, like her name, was as small as tiny Loretta, whom they all seemed to tower over. Lime green eyes sparkled mischievously while her own black hair was plaited in an intricate braid that wound around itself.

"I am graced with my lady's audience and the request by his holiness for my attendance during the mass to celebrate the Archbishop's return." Origa said elegantly.

Caterina held in a sigh. She didn't sleep well that night and didn't anticipate sleeping well until the Silent Noise issue was resolved. She wasn't up to dealing with politics, but it was the life that she chose. "It is we that are thankful that you could manage to grace us with your presence with your busy schedule." She paused before going on. "If I may ask, why the change of mind?"

"I thought, with the incident at Barcelona, it would be best if people in the public eye showed their support, not only to those who were hurt in the accident, but to the Vatican as well." She tilted her head to the side. "I can't imagine that the public is too happy with your family at the moment, if it is not too rude of me to say."

"No, they are not." She began to turn back to the window, signaling that the conversation was over, when something in the back of her mind kept nagging at her. She spun back to them, her steel eyes sharper than before. "I was not aware that you were bringing friends."

Origa shrugged while the two other girls smirked. "In this troubled time, is it not good to have friends around?" She and the other two curtsied once more. "Thank you for letting us take up so much of your time, Lady Caterina. We will not delay you any longer." They turned to go.

"If it isn't too much trouble," Caterina didn't know what possessed her to speak, but it felt right. "I would like you to come again."

The three smiled before walking out the door. Loretta clicked it shut behind them.

"Lady Caterina, what was that about?"

"Abel's report…." Caterina seemed lost in thought.

"What about it?"

Caterina was already thinking back to the conversation she just had with the wandering Priest.

"They couldn't be… could they?"

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REVIEW!!!

(1): The phrase she's thinking of is "Speak of the Devil and he shall appear." I thought, since she's a Cardinal, she would avoid thinking that.

2,000,000,000,000 points to whomever gets who I based the singer off of!


	8. Chapter 7: Speaks with Pandas

YAY!!! My more awesome roommate than the first has reviewed!! AND IT WAS HUGE!!! ^.^

Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood. I own.... the people I own...

Again, what's in bold is from the book.

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Chapter 7

Speaks With Pandas

"You think she knows?" Origa asked 'Archie' and 'Minsy'.

"Lady Caterina is sharp. She probably does." 'Archie' said as they arrived in their suite in the "Palazzio Spada". She moved around the room, picked out all the bugs (of the listening kind) within and dropped them out the second story window before continuing. "If she thought we were a threat though, she would have had us arrested right then." She lowered her sunglasses to reveal liquid gray eyes. Mar sat down on the arm of the couch beside 'Minsy' (who had flopped on the couch the second the door opened) as she took off her wig. "You shouldn't have anything to worry about."

"I have plenty to worry about if what you guys said was true." Origa said as she moved to the window. She turned back to Mar and Sain when she spoke again. "Why didn't we tell Lady Caterina were the Silent Noise is back there? Why the subterfuge?"

"Origa, you should know by now that we live for subterfuge." Sain answered as she played with her braid.

"We were not alone in the Cardinal's office." Mar pointed out as she leaned over to grab one of the tea cakes on the table. Sain stole half of what was in her hand before it reached her mouth.

"Then why don't we just blow it up?"

"They won't know it was the Silent Noise machine." Sain informed the Singer.

Mar nodded before going on. "They would have just said that its destruction was an act of terrorism. All of us," she looked meaningful at Origa then. "And I do mean all of us, would have to lay low for several years after if we did this the quick and dirty way."

"The Silent Noise is just the tip." Sain added. "There's more to this iceberg. Lots more."

Mar rose again when the cake was gone, stooping to pick up the violin case and the bag beside it on the table.

"Where-?" Origa looked uncertain of where she stood. Should she have denied their request when they asked for her help?

"It won't be going off now dear… it'll probably be after your performance." Sain said as she started to follow Mar out. "We need to make some contacts in the Vatican. It'll make things in the future run more smoothly."

"Don't worry; we won't let anything bad happen to you." Mar reminded the Singer as the two girls left.

Origa stared at the shut door for a moment. She was both frightened and excited.

But that was her (and many others, that she was sure) most common reaction when those girls were around.

* * *

A young man hid himself within the labyrinth of hedges and plants that was the Vatican's garden. Though he was nineteen, tears fell freely from his eyes. His confidence was shattered and he wanted nothing more than to disappear from the face of earth. The Gazebo he found himself in was one of his favorite haunts and it shielded him from the searching eyes of those looking for him.

He paused in his crying, the sound of an instrument close by catching his attention. The haunting melody that the violin played floated through Gazebo made him more than a little curious. He had never heard that piece of music before.

As he snuck to look around the corner, he heard a 'Thunk' as if something struck something else. The violin suddenly stopped.

"Tempo! TEMPO!!! You have the right notes, now get the timing right! Counts of four! COUNTS OF FOUR!!" Alessandro, the crying boy, peered into the hall that the hedges created. The small girl who spoke wielded a bat in one hand and was pointing at her 'victim' with the other. The 'victim' was on her knees, head turned down, the violin in one hand and a bow in another.

Suddenly the 'victim' rose up to her feet, her arms over her head.

"THE GREAT PANDA HAS BEEN ANGERED!!!" Sain shrieked as she took off to get away from enraged Mar. The path she chose took her right into-

"OAF!"

Alessandro- the three hundred ninety-ninth Pope, Alessandro XVII- stumbled and fell when Sain ran into him. She spun them mid-fall so he was on top before spinning him so he was facing Mar. "Quickly, trusty sidekick, appease the PANDA!"

"WHA?!" Alessandro suddenly saw the tip of the bow between his eyes and he let out a gasp.

"Rawr?" Mar stopped mid-rage. "Oh, um, hello?"

"O-Oh, H-hh-he-hel-" Alessandro had always had a problem with speaking due to his speech impediment. It usually wasn't so bad, but his self esteem was already shot. He gave up trying to say hello, but the girl kept waiting expectantly.

"Go on." She spoke softly. If she had said it any other way, he would think that she was making fun of him.

"Ah- h-hh-he-hel-he-hello!" He finally managed to force out of himself. "Who-o- are you?"

Mar smiled at him before offering her hand to lift him up.

"We are the terror of Tyrants!" The girl he ran into danced around him to Mar.

"The revealers of Secrets-" Mar stuck a pose and then began a dance with Sain.

"And the Societies that keep them!"

"Keepers of Justice!"

"The Guardians' Guardians!"

"Bards of Disaster!"

"Insane torturer-"

Mar stopped in their dance. "Uh, what? We don't want him afraid of us."

Sain stared at her for a beat. "Maybe I want him afraid of me. Ever think of that?"

It was Mar's turn to stare. She said nothing, just looked down on Sain until the smaller girl turned away. "Fine! The Un-insane non-torturers."

"You just mean the 'Non-torturers' bit, because we are a little crazy."

"Wha!?!" Alessando wondered if he should back away slowly now.

They both turned back to him.

"You're still here?" They spoke as one.

Alessando blinked and looked down at himself. He was in the robes that signified his position within the Vatican. Why were they being so informal with him?

"U-uh, yes."

"Oh good!" Sain said before taking his hands. Alessando's eyes grew wide and looked down at their joined hands. **The emerald fisherman's ring that sparkled on his bony ring finger symbolized that he was God's agent on Earth**. His gray eyes turned back to her lime green. "We were planning on going outside...." She turned her head to look into the distance.

Mar coughed and Sain's eyes focused on Alessando's again. "Wanna come?"

He didn't know why he answered how he did. At the time he thought it was spurred by his need to disappear. Later he thought it was the God's will. "Yes."

* * *

TWO REVIEWS!!! NOW!!!

Actually, I was thinking of a different story that I'm planning on writing some day.... Final Fantasy 7 one that'll crossover into Trinity Blood and the character in there will only be called 'Panda' by Yuffie.... I guess I'm going through a Panda phase....


	9. Chapter 8: MURDER

Dudes and Dudettes... I do believe that the ghost of Mary Frear is in my room... and she doesn't like the fact that I'm not at the moment studying.... so reward me for posting this!!!!

TWO REVIEWS ARE NEEDED FOR NEW INSTALLMENTS!!!

Disclaimer: um, check earlier chapters? Oh, Watson and Bianchi belong to me now too....

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Chapter 8

M.U.R.D.E.R.

Alessandro twisted his trunk back and forth, trying to get use to not having a robe. He had been wearing one every day since he was elected Pope and he hadn't realized how much he missed a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt until this moment.

"H-How d-did you know my s-size?" He asked Mar and Sain as they roller-bladed down a side street. He flailed his arms for a moment when he lost his balance, but Mar righted him with a gentle push in the right direction. It was just too strange. Why did they have his size on them in the first place?

Shortly after they gave him the bag with the clothes to change into, they expertly circumvented the guards and the security measures put up to protect him and everyone else in the Vatican. Then they asked him if he knew how to skate and pulled out three pairs (including one his size) of roller blades.

This had to be the craziest morning he ever had, even odder than that first morning as Pope.

Sain and Mar (they had given him their real names) looked at each other before smiling mischievously at him.

"We've been planning this for a while." Sain said as she skillfully danced ahead of them on her skates.

"Wha?!"

Mar chuckled, a soft, comforting sound. Alessandro turned to the older girl holding his hand.

"It's the truth really."

He really should be worried. Why wasn't he?

"We'll tell you more later…." Sain seemed to be serious about something. Alessandro had only known them for about an hour, but he had a feeling that something was happening.

"S-something wrong?"

"Andro," Mar had asked him if they could call him that when they got him to change. "There is always something wrong… perhaps not in our area usually, but today, yes."

Alessandro frowned.

"You don't have to come…" she trailed off and bit her lip as she looked at him.

"O-oh c-c-can I?"

The two smiled again.

"We were hoping you would say that."

* * *

Inspector Watson sighed as he leaned on his left hip as he looked at his newest crime scene: a Café on the Via Sallustiana.

His partner, Inspector Bianchi, was questioning everyone in the shop as he looked over the crime scene. Two men were having a business lunch and one dropped dead, poisoned.

A man and woman were sitting on either side the restroom, five (three men and two women) at the counter, and two more groups (both couples) in neighboring booths when the incident happened. It looked like the man's co-worker was his killer but…

Something didn't feel right.

The group who was at the counter, namely two girls and a boy, caught his attention,

"What are they up to?" he asked aloud to himself.

* * *

Andro, Mar and Sain got to the Café and ordered some tea, chai and coffee at the counter. While the girls talked animatedly, there seemed to be something wrong… like a cloud looming over them.

"You Can't DO THIS TO ME!" One of the men at the booths stood up to yell at the other man in the same booth.

"I think I just-" The man began to reply calmly, but he suddenly sputtered. He coughed, his eyes rolling into his head before he fell forward into his soup.

Everyone froze, staring at the rabidly cooling corpse.

Andro suddenly gasp, and crossed himself. He turned, wide eyed to the girls. "What h-happened?"

As the Café erupted into chaos, Mar responded.

"I do believe he was murdered." She said calmly, sipping her chai.

"M-murdered!" Andro looked like he was going to faint.

"M is for mercy, thrown into the wind.

"U is for utter control.

"R is for Revenge, the poison of the soul.

"D is for Death, Destruction, Demise, etc.

"E is for Engineering the escape.

"R is for Repeat." Sain said in a sing-song voice. Andro looked at her funny.

"T-that was a h-horrible poem."

"Thank you-" The police were already roping off the scene and taking statements.

"Kept you from passing out, didn't it?" Mar said with a wink. "We can back out and no one will know you were here…"

"It looks like an open and shut case…" Sain said off-handedly.

"Yes, but it looks like…" Mar stopped then turned to Andro. "Wanna go?"

"'L-Looks like'?"

Mar and Sain looked at each other before at him again.

"The man at the booth will probably be the main suspect…"

There was something wrong with that. He didn't know how he knew, but he did.

"B-but he's not g-guilty."

The girls cocked their heads at that, their fingers interlacing before cushioning their chins. It was really kind of creepy how they could do that in unison.

"Congratz," they said. "You're already one step ahead of the police."

"But," Sain began, "this is your day to slack off…"

"You could be caught if we stick around." Mar said quietly.

Alessandro thought about what they saying to him. If they stayed, they might be able to help, and he could be caught. _They_ could be caught: Mar and Sain would get into a lot of trouble for kidnapping the Pope (he knew that would be how the Cardinals would spin it).

But the man was innocent.

He turned to see the Police already cuffing the man in question.

He blinked, realizing something. He spun to look back at the girls. They were giving him a choice, no pressure, no yelling, no telling him what he should and shouldn't do. His last choice was ten years ago, before he became the Pope.

That knowledge both elated and terrified him.

He set up a silent prayer. "W-we stay."

"Alrighty then!" They said. "Let's catch us some badies!"

* * *

"Excuse m-me?" Andro approached Investigator Watson. Watson blinked at Andro before smiling in what he hoped was a kindly way. The boy seemed very nervous.

"Yes?"

Alessandro took a deep breath to calm himself. "That man isn't guilty."

* * *

There is a button... below this line of text.... it has the word 'Review' on it. PUSH IT AND WRITE SOMETHING!! I have it so you don't have to sign in at all.


	10. Chapter 9: Getting to Know You

Okay, so I was going to update this yesterday, but Mary Fricken' FREAR decided to crash Fanfiction... or fanfiction decided to crash on its own... I don't know what happened, but the point is that I tried to do my job and fanfiction wasn't working...

OH! And twice in two days, two different professors decided to cancel class and not tell me. Not cool.

Especially after I didn't get my coffee with ice cream this morning!!

Disclaimer: um, check another chapter? I'm hungry, tired, hot and generally unhappy at the moment. Call back when I have coffee....

REVIEW!!!

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Chapter 9

Getting To Know You

The boy was serious. Inspector Watson's face fell.

"What makes you think that?" He asked, scratching his head. Maybe the kid saw something that the others didn't.

"Um- C-could everyone go back into the s-seats they had before he was kk-killed?"

Watson turned to his partner, Bianchi, and she nodded to him. His lips scrunched in thought before he turned to the boy. "Yeah, that'll be okay." He turned to the customers. "Could everyone go to their original seats?"

The patrons grumbled, none so loud as the owner, but did as they were told.

"I-I was a-at the c-counter." The boy pointed between two girls who waved and then came over.

"Hi!" the smallest girl said cheerfully.

Watson put on a strained smile. Did this girl not notice the dead body being carted out? "Hello."

The taller girl put out her hand for a shake, a somber look on her face. He gave her hand a firm shake, glad that at least she was taking this seriously. "And you are?"

"I am Boba Fett, she is Jazz Hands," The smaller girl was pointing them out. She did a hand motion when she said 'Jazz'. "And this is Chup Racobra"

He was not impressed, his frown deepening. "No, really now, who are you?"

'Boba Fett' moved her hand in front of his face. "You don't need our identification."

Watson felt his eyebrow twitch as he heard his partner laugh in the background.

"What she means is that once Chup identifies the real killer, you won't need our names." 'Jazz' said. 'Chup' looked like he was going to faint for a moment before the two girls put their hands on his shoulders. "Look around. What do you see?"

Chup looked around the café before settling his eyes on the two people around the bathroom. Watson followed his gaze, trying to figure out what made those two stand out. They both wore sunglasses and hats but it was a hot day.

"Why-" Chup stopped and swallowed. He wasn't sure of himself. "Why is the girl over there wearing a wig?"

Watson blinked before striding across the room to the girl in question. Her glance at the man on the other side of the bathroom did not escape the eyes of the detective.

'_So they're in something together.'_ He thought as he ripped off the hat and wig of the girl. "So who are you, really?"

* * *

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The co-worker of the murdered wouldn't shut up as he shook Andro's, aka Chup, hand.

It turned out that the woman was the murdered man's wife and the man her lover. She didn't say anything but her lover cracked under pressure. The co-worker had nothing to do with it.

"Yeah, yeah." Sain/Boba pushed the man away and then messed Andro's hair.

"Good job." Mar gave a soft smile that Andro soaked up.

"B-but I didn't-t do anyt-thing!"

"Right, totally pointing the cops in the right direction was doing nothing…." Sain trailed off and patted his head.

Andro's heart swelled. He had, for the first time in far too long, done something that he had chosen to do without being forced _and_ it was the right thing. He smiled brightly at the two of them, feeling a change in himself. And he liked it.

"So, who are you guys, really?" Watson wasn't letting the group get away without some answers.

"We're- uh…." The two girls looked at each other. "The good guys?" They looked back at Watson, a nervous smile on their faces.

Andro actually stepped forward. "I am Alessandro." He said softly but clearly. He lifted his hand up to the detective's face, showing the emerald fisherman's ring. The detective's eyes grew wide, his jaw dropping. He knew exactly who he was now.

"And they…?"

"Ever heard of 'Got a Hunch?'"

Watson nearly fell over. Of course he had heard of them. Everyone in the world of law and order knew of them. All had different opinions of the group (most not good) but they closed 100% of their cases.

Now he had his own story to tell. He looked into the eyes of Sain and Mar, knowing them for who they were and suddenly realized that he couldn't tell anyone.

"So, now that we understand each other?"Mar asked quietly. Watson nodded dumbly. Bianchi rose her brow, wondering what was wrong with her partner. He waved her off.

"Alright then… We'll be going now." Sain said, starting to walk away.

"Alessandro- I mean." Watson had spun to watch the most powerful human walk out of the café. "If you need- I mean…" He put his hand over his chest, hoping that the teen would understand. Andro nodded, a smile breaking out on his face.

The three left…

* * *

The journey back into the Vatican was uneventful, but Andro thought he had enough excitement for the day. He had already decided to light a candle for the murdered man, wishing he had asked for his name. Mar said she would get it for him and he thanked her.

People were rushing around but no one was calling his name so they probably weren't looking for him.

"Alessandro?" Using his full name made him worried but Sain's nervous tone nearly freaked him out. Strike that, it freaked him out.

"Y-y-yes-s?"

"We need to tell you something." Mar seemed uncertain as well. "The whole truth. About ourselves and about your enemy….and what happened in Barcelona."

"M-m-m-my en-n-em-my?" He took a deep breath to keep himself from fainting, but Mar guided him to the bench anyway. Which was probably a good thing.

"Yes. The enemy of the world." Sain sat down on the bench across from him. Mar sat down next to Andro and held his hands, which helped to calm him. "He wants to start a war between you and the Empire."

"B-b-but-t-t w-why?" He couldn't understand why someone would want someone else dead. The image of the dead man flashed through his eyes. _'Good God… Good God'_. For a moment he was in shock before Mar squeezed his hand.

"He wants to change the rules of the world… through fire." Sain said, looking up into the heavens.

"'_Igne Natura Renovatui Integra'_"

"Through fire will the world be reborn." Sain looked thoughtful. "Or at least, that's what Jen says."

Andro looked around. There was only the three of them.

"W-whose Jen?" The question had been bothering him for a while: Sain would talk about Jen, Jaz and Jim, but he never saw them. They only talked to Sain.

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	11. Chapter 10: Tonguetied and Liplocked

So I tired to update on Friday and yesterday, but Fricken Fanfiction wouldn't let me... I sent an email to support but I never heard back from them.... so hopefully you guys can read this.

It'll be a bit before I update again... I need to write the next chapter... .

Disclaimer: um, check a different chapter... I think Chapter 4 has a good disclaimer... .

Oops, had to change Sain and Mar's heights... Sain is shorter and Mar is taller...

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Chapter 10

Tongue-tied and Lipped-locked

Catherina found herself looking out the large window in her office, the view giving her some of the maze garden and the wall. When she had tried to talk to Origa, she had said that she had to practice urgently for her performance and gave her nothing else.

'_But her worry was enough.'_ The two girls the songstress came with were nowhere to be found-

Was it her imagination, or did that girl just- Another girl vaulted the wall after her and then they raised their hands up to catch their third mem- IS THAT ALESSANDRO?!

The female Cardinal stared in shock as she watched someone who looked strikingly like her brother, the Pope, disappear into the maze.

'_Maybe my eyes…' _She closed them and shook her head. She knew what she saw; she just didn't know what it meant yet.

"Lady Caterina?" A tenor soft said behind her.

Glad he wasn't using his falsetto, she turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. "Good to see you back, Abel."

"Did you have to cut it so close with the connection? I nearly got run over while-" The silver haired priest stopped when he realized that his bickering wasn't met with her usual smile followed by 'Are you saying I put you in dangerous situations?' "Lady Caterina, what's wrong?"

"Describe the two girls again." She said softly. Softly because she didn't want the worry in her voice to be heard.

"Well…. The one with the pink hair almost never showed her eyes. The only times I saw them were behind her sunglasses. The pink hair was probably a wig and…" He thought back to his two encounters with them, trying to remember something that wasn't completely useless. "She was about 5' 10" and she was far too skinning," trust the man who ate five lunch boxes at once to notice how skinny his opponent was, "but amazingly strong. She carried her partner and both of their suitcases and outrun Sister Noélle. Her partner was…" He something clicked. "Smaller. A lot smaller. She had to wear boots so she would fit in the first girl's pants. Her eyes…. A green color, I think. At one point we were closer than I was with Miss Pink." He paused before asking the question that had been bothering him. "Do you think there here?"

"A really skinny girl and a really short girl? Perhaps 4' 9"?"

Abel blinked before crossing the floor of the office to stand next to her. Out of the maze came the Pope, looking dazed. Abel let out a gasp when he saw the two girl's next to him. Their body types were the same as the ones in Barcelona.

"See! She's _way_ too skinny!" He said, pointing to the girl who he identified as "Zoom".

"What are they doing with Alessandro?" Though not many knew it, Lady Caterina was ferociously protective of her younger brother. She turned to look at Abel directly, a hard light in her eyes. "Question them Abel." Her hand landed on his shoulder. "I know you are tired, but we must not let what happened in Barcelona happen here. They know things that we _must_ know." She caught his eye before continuing. "I can only trust you with this."

He nodded. Many of the members of AX had been recruited by Abel under Lady Caterina's direction. He liked to think that he got more information out of people than any one member of the Inquisition, without the torture.

"I'll need some money." He said as he decided on a course of action.

She nodded. "I'll let Loretta-"

"Lady Caterina?" The voice came from the other side of the closed door.

'_Twice in one day?'_ She thought before replying. "Come in Sister Loretta."

The small nun entered before curtsying. "Sword Dancer has finally returned."

* * *

Mar and Sain waved as Alessandro was whisked away from them by a group of his attendants who were just beginning to notice his absence.

"Bye!! We'll see ya again, kk?" Sain waved Mar's handkerchief as the group turned a corner and out of the two girls' sight.

Their last glimpse they had of the Pope was of him smiling and waving. Mar let out a sigh of relief when they were out of earshot. She had been afraid that he would have a melt down from all the information they had given him.

"Thank God." She said softly. The taller girl turned to Sain and saw her looking thoughtful.

Never a good sign.

'_5,4,3,2- DING!DING!!!'_ Sain's mental clock hit zero and she suddenly jumped up and down repeatedly. "He's here!! HE'S HERE!!!" She grabbed a hold of the front of Mar's shirt and nearly shouted into her face. "WHERE IS HE?!"

Mar's arm rose to point in one direction as if possessed before Sain was leaving a cloud of dust behind her.

"Uh… who?" The gray eyed girl asked the empty hallway.

'_That's not good'

* * *

_

"Welcome back Hugue!" Leon, a Priest of Spanish decent, spoke between his lips in an attempt to keep the cigar there without needing his hands. He was big, burly and fairly hairy; his cassock was partially open to reveal the top part of his masculine chest. His full name was Leon Garcia de Asturias, codenamed Dandelion and he was enjoying his current freedom from his prison. He occupied the entire couch in front of the fire in the lounge, waiting for the Lady Cardinal to call them.

The man he spoke to inclined his head slightly to show he had heard, his golden locks obscuring his face as they cascaded down. Hugue de Watteau, aka Sword Dancer, was not much of a speaker on good days. His latest ordeal had assured that he would not be having a good day anytime soon.

Though he believed he had a terrible life after the massacre of his clan and the disappearance of his sister, it had taken an extraordinary turn for the worse during the past month. He knew now that the one to blame for his family's demise: his best friend who was jealous of the spot he would one day have as a member of the clan. As if that wasn't enough, Hugue's fiancé had married his traitorous best friend and they had a child together. While it still wasn't clear to him whether or not she knew of her husband's crimes before they married, she chose her path when she shot Hugue not once, but twice.

Good thing she was a lousy shot. But the point was that he had had, for lack of a better descriptive term, a shitty month.

And now he was in Rome, when he could be doing something he deemed more productive, like finding his sister-if she was alive- or killing the vampires who attacked them in the first place.

"Señor, you look like s**t." Leon continued after seeing the nod. Hugue sighed, shifting his weight from one foot to another. If Gun Slinger hadn't dragged him back, he could have avenged his entire family by now. The weight of his blade-staff in his artificial arms (he lost the real ones during the massacre) comforted him somewhat. Maybe he could get Leon to spar with him…

The door opened slowly and the two men turned, hoping to see Loretta. Instead they saw a girl of equal height and black Gothic style dress with petticoats walk into the room. Her lime green eyes seemed to light up with what he presumed was child-like wonder when they landed on Hugue.

Her braid moved behind her in an almost hypnotic swish as she stepped closer to the Swordsmen. "I'm so glad to meet you, Hugue."She said with a childlike smile. "Wow, you're even cuter up close."

Hugue blinked. What did she just say? Maybe he was finally crazy.

He opened his mouth to ask if he knew her- for a moment stumbling over his words in his sudden awkwardness- and she pounced. Her hands went up faster than he anticipated and tangled themselves in his waist length hair before pulling him down into a smoldering kiss.

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	12. Chapter 11: Who Am I?

Sorry it took so long to update! I like to be 2-3 chapters ahead... and I was only one last time I posted....

But now I'm back on track.

I think I'll have it where I'll update when I have three reviews... I have lots of classes.

Oh, my English teacher thinks that no one in her class can write. She says that you can't paraphrase, quote, summarize or judge the book. I'm not sure how she wants us to write....

Right now would be an awesome time to suddenly have the ability to read minds! Then I'll know what she wants from me! -clenches hair between fists-

Anyway, back to the story.

Disclaimer: I own Mar, Sain, Jen, Jaz, Jim, Moni and Robyn. Everyone else belongs to Sunao Yosida. Nothing in bold for a while though...

Edit: I'm not terribly sure with the Hawaiian here... so if I'm wrong, let me know please

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Chapter 11

Who Am I?

"Miss Zoom! It's good to see you again." Abel said politely as he spotted Mar in mid-run.

'_Well Shit.'_

It had only been a few moments since Sain had run off for God only knows what. Or who. Mar had stared at the hallway where the errant girl had disappeared for a few moments, wondering what she should do. She didn't have her wig or sunglasses on to be either Archie or Zoom… or anyone of her other personas. At the moment she was just…Mar.

Just Mar, alone, in the heart of the Vatican, the one place she had tried the hardest to avoid.

She took a breath to steady her heart as it suddenly went into overdrive._ 'I'll just go back to my room and get the wig and then get Sain.' _She took a step in the direction of the suite before the key word in that sentence hit her. _'Sain?! What could she do in the 5 minutes it takes me to get there and come back? What could she be doing in the 30 seconds I've been standing here?!' _Her eyes went wide at the thought. Her head turned to look in the direction the smaller girl had run off to. She bit her lip before running at full speed toward where her friend had disappeared to. _'I just hope no one sees me!'_

Which brings us back to her being seen by Abel, e.i. possibly the worst person in the Vatican to find her.

'_Shit!'_ She thought again as Abel started to run after her.

"Hey! Wait up!"

"Um, 'A'ole 'ōlelo au kou 'ōlelo!" She said, sure he wouldn't understand that language as she slowed down. She couldn't use Raise when he was paying attention to her. _'Which means Sain could get into more trouble because I'm taking so long!'_

"Ara? 'O anei 'ōlelo Hawai'i 'oe?"

'_WHAT?!' _Mar nearly fell over when he answered her.

"Wha? You speak Hawai'ian?" She shouted over her shoulder as she ran away from him. She noticed he was smiling as he quickly gained on her.

"Wha? You speak Italian?" He was literally right on her heels now. If he reached out, he could probably stop her. Why wasn't he?

She gave a cry of frustration before thinking _'Screw it' _and turning on Raise –what Sain called hyper drive. He quickly started falling behind again. Why was he still smiling?!

A group of novices were crossing in front of her but that wasn't going to slow her down. She dodged and weaved expertly between them like she had lived in an amusement park all her life and was out.

"Father Nightroad, why are you-" Good, someone was distracting him.

"Sorry Miss Ester, but I'm a little busy at the moment. Can we talk again soon?"

She chanced a glance behind her and saw that instead of falling behind, he was catching up. _'What is the guy made of?!'_

Sain was behind the door at the end of the corridor. Her goal was in sight.

"S-" Mar suddenly remembered that Sain was going by Minsy at the moment and corrected herself and she kicked the door in. "MINSY!" she stepped to her left in order not to be run over by Abel.

And stood there in shock as she took in the scene before her.

"MINSY!" She cried, outraged.

Slowly Sain removed her lips from the blond man she had in her grasp and turned to look at her. "What?"

Hugue looked utterly bewildered, and the Spanish man on the couch couldn't stop laughing.

"Were you just-?"

"Yes?"

Abel suddenly appeared next to her and was looking over the room.

Mar looked down like she was just realizing something before turning and walking over to a corner. It wasn't until she was crouched in it and poking the connection of two walls did Sain let go of her prey and say anything.

"Did you just claim that corner in the name of Emos?"

"Dear Fml. Today, after revealing a lot of information of the sensitive kind to a guy we barely know, my best friend ran off and left me alone in the middle of the Vatican. While trying to find her, I get chased by a Priest. When I finally find her, she making out with a guy I've never seen before. Am I so unimportant that I don't even get updates from my best friend? Fmylife…"

"Oh stop being Emo!"

Mar spun and stood at her full height, towering over Sain. "Stop being a hippy!!"

"What's going on?" Abel asked the nearly passed out –from lack of oxygen- Leon and the still in shocked Hugue.

"He's too young for you!" Mar continued as if Abel hadn't spoken, throwing up her hands.

Sain blinked, a slow smile crossing her features. "And what does that make me?"

"A woman that likes younger boys? A cougar?" Abel was beyond confusion at this point. This 'Fwoosh' or 'Minsy' or whatever she called herself didn't look that old.

Sain started giggling evilly while Mar groaned and face palmed. "Good God."

"Well, Miss Fwoosh and Miss Zoom, we need to talk." Abel decided to break off this silliness before it got out of hand.

The two, he noticed, stayed in character and looked around the room for who Fwoosh and Zoom were. 'Zoom' moved closer to the statue that was once Hugue ('_Did his brain explode or something? What was his problem?'_) while 'Fwoosh' looking under the couch next to the unconscious Leon ('_What was so funny? Why is no one telling me?'_).

"Psst, Blondie, you better make a break for it before she does it again." Mar whispered to the ceiling next to Hugue.

He suddenly came to life by blinking, his finger coming to his lips for a moment before he looked up and spotted the door. In another moment he was through it and running down the hall.

"Wah? HUGUE!! COME BACK!!" Sain was in hot pursuit. Mar made to run after her but Abel quickly closed the door behind the smaller girl.

"I'm sorry," He said, trying a different approach. "But I didn't catch your name. What was it again?"

Mar was suddenly at a loss for words. She wore no wig or anything else to disguise herself, so she was Mar. But he already knew her face. If he knew her name, he could trace it back to Got a Hunch. She tried to wrack her brain for a name but the only one to come up was Jazz Hands. Sain was the one who did the names. And he wouldn't believe the name Jazz Hands.

But now she had a character. She was Jazz Hands, who liked chai and hanging out with friends in Cafés while sometimes solving murders. She was a mother figure to Chup Racobra and Boba's older sister. She loved life and freely winked. She was cheerful, happy, without a care in the world. So much like Mar but so different. Jazz knew who she was and what she wanted. Mar was still looking for herself.

She smiled, taking on the persona completely, leaving Mar curled up deep inside of herself. Abel blinked, realizing the change.

"Jazz Hands." She made the same hand motion Sain did when she introduced them to the officer before holding out her hand to shake. "And yours?"

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	13. Chapter 12: A Date?

Okay, for you people wanting to keep score at home:

Mar aka: Archie, Jazz Hands, Zoom, and Gray/Gray eyes (at the moment, I'll update it later). I describe her as too skinny most of the time...

Sain aka: Minsy, Boba Fett, Fwoosh. Short, Long hair.

Abel aka: Crusnik, Priest, Silver Haired Priest.

Hugue aka: Sword Dancer, French swordsman, Blond Priest.

Dude, you guys need to give me enough time to write! 4 reviews per chapter!

Disclaimer: I own Mar, Sain, Jen, Jaz, Jim, Moni and Robyn. Everyone else belongs to Sunao Yosida. Nothing in bold for a while though...

Edit: I'm not terribly sure about the Hawaiian in the last chapter (forgot to make a note)... so if I'm wrong, let me know please

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Chapter 12

A Date?

Abel blinked at the offered hand. Did 'Zoom' really think him so stupid that he would believe her name was 'Jazz Hands'?

He shook the hand anyway, smiling broadly. "Father Abel Nightroad. Good to meet you Miss Jazz Hands-"

"Jazz Hands." She interrupted him, doing the same sign with her hands. "You have to add the hand motions. I know it's silly, but that's the way it is." She said with a shrug.

Abel felt a smile tug on the edge of his lips. There was something about this girl that put him at ease. Was it because she brought Noélle back to him?

"Well, Miss Jazz Hands," He used the hand motion before continuing. "I know this really good place only a few blocks away…" He began before noticing the blank look on her face.

"Are you asking me out?" She blinked at him before tilting her head.

"Oro?" It did seem like it, didn't it? He rubbed the back of his head while he tried to explain. "Well, as friends." He blinked, suddenly realizing something. "Are we friends?" He asked her.

She smiled up at him. "I would very much like to be your friend, Father Nightroad."

He reached out his hand and she took it after a moment's hesitation.

"Shall we go?" He asked while intertwining their fingers and opening the door. Mar sent one last look down the hallway that Sain had dashed down before nodding and being lead away.

* * *

"You should really try the duck! It's delicious!" Abel said, holding out his forkful for her. She reached for it with her hand but he moved it away, shaking his head. Mar sighed before opening up her mouth and he fed her. "You really are too skinny, you know."

She rolled her eyes. "Minsy's always telling me the same thing. It's not my fault that I burn calories fast and then I'm not hungry." Mar looked up at the winter sky above Rome.

'_I really should be hibernating.'_ She thought, cutting up the last bit of her chicken before eating it.

Abel took a sip of his Earl Grey while keeping an eye on 'Jazz Hands'. It was time for the attack.

"I'm afraid you look a lot like a girl that I saw in Barcelona." He said while smiling in what he hoped was a disarming way.

Mar looked at him over her cup of chai.

"And?"

Abel blinked. Was she dropping the farce now?

"So you'll admit-"

She sat up straight to look him in the eye. "I'm not admitting anything. I just want to know where you're going with this."

Abel stared at her for a moment. "Where I'm going with this? If you really are 'Zoom' you'd know what kind of disaster will befall Rome if we don't take care of the Silent Noise Machine!" He hissed, trying not to cause the patrons to stare at him.

Mar fixed him with a glare that had him backing up in his seat. "It's hard not being in the loop, isn't it?" Her tone was icy.

He tilted his head. "What exactly is this about?"

She stared down at her cup and Abel was left with the impression that she was gathering her thoughts. When she turned her head up to look at him, there was a fierce fire blazing in her eyes.

"I can understand you guys leaving them in the dark." She indicated the other patrons in the restaurant but he knew that she meant the rest of the world. "But to leave that child that you and your boss plopped onto the highest position of the Vatican and tell him _nothing_." She had risen to her feet to glare down at him. "If he is killed because of your inaction, it'll be as much your fault as it is the killer's."

He stood up to hiss back at her. "What does that make you then? You're not telling us anything and all of Rome could be destroyed!"

"I've told the highest person in the Vatican _everything_." She responded. He was taken aback. Suddenly they noticed the stares that were getting and sat in their chairs again.

"You told the _Pope_?!" He asked, his eyes wide.

"Yes." She had seemed to calm down and was drinking her chai again.

"What exactly did you tell him?"

She raised her eyes back to his. "I told you. _Everything_. Everything about the AX that my people know, everything about the Department of Inquisition, everything about _his_ enemies and everything about _us_." She held his eyes. "He cares, Father Nightroad. He cares about life, not just whether someone is a Terran or a Methuselah. And he has a strength that his kith and kin seem to be determined to weed out." Abel wasn't sure if he had breathed at all when she was talking but he did manage to inhale when she paused. "You want to defeat the Orden, yes? Having a Pope that knows or at least can understand the price of war would be in our favor."

"You're trying to bring him into a war-" He began, furious.

"No!" She rose to her feet again and he could have sworn that her eyes were tearing up. "It was the Cardinals who brought him into this. Will you think about this for a moment? What exactly would happen if the Pope should die? Cardinal Medici would look for any connection to the Empire and use him as a rallying cry for the Vatican. And the Orden would help him accomplish that."

His hands were on her shoulders and nearly shaking her before he realized it. He chalked up the charge that he felt to Crusnik being too close to the surface."You don't think we can protect him?!"

"Minsy and I were roller-skating with him down the Via Sallustiana." She said softly, tilting her head. "We were gone for about 3 hours before we returned and it was another 40 minutes before anyone spotted us and _realized then_ that the Pope was missing."

His hands nearly fell off of her in shock. Was their security that terrible?

"You have no idea."

He blinked before turning back into the goofy priest and giving her one of his smiles, hoping to alleviate the mood. "Please don't read my mind Miss Jazz."

Her lip twitched, bemused by him.

He lowered his voice and his head so that he could whisper in her ear. "Perhaps we should continue this out of the public eye?"

She nodded and dropped money on the table for the bill, tip and then some. He gaped at the amount before holding an arm out to her. She grasped his forearm before he began to lead her away.

"Could you please tell me about the Silent Noise?" He begged.

Beside him she sighed. "Not really."

He looked at her sideways. "'Not really because I don't know anything' or 'Not really because I'm still mad at you people'? I'm going to ask Lady Caterina to beef up security around the Po-"

"Not really because there is more to this plot than just the Silent Noise." Her grip on his arm tightened as she stared ahead. He moved his arm so that it was around her to hear her whispers better.

"What?!" He hissed again.

She turned her head to look him in the eye. "The only way I can tell you anything is if your boss is willing to risk her all. We won't let Rome fall, but if we do anything before revealing the traitor in our mist, he'll get away and just grow stronger."

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Dun Dun DUH!!!!!

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	14. Chapter 13: I'll Cover You

WE HAVE A NEW READER!!! The Girl in the Moon!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING!!!

Anyway, after we finish with the Silent Noise problem, I'll be starting a new story for our protagonists! That way this story won't have 100 chapters or something..

Okay, here is the next chapter.... look at chapter 12 for disclaimer and I want 4 reviews before I update!

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Chapter 13

I'll Cover You

"That's all she said?" Caterina asked as Abel finished his story of what happened on his 'Date'.

He nodded, his face looking grim. The Sun had long since set and office's artificial light gave the Priest an eerie glow.

"A traitor…" Caterina looked lost in thought. "Even Francesco wouldn't want Rome to fall."

"My Lady should not take 'Jazz Hands' recommended course of action." The statue near the door seemed to come alive. The Priest had short auburn hair and eyes to match, and his cassock was spotless. Neither his voice nor his face showed any emotion.

The assembly of nuns and priests gathered around the Cardinal nodded. There was Leon (who had been revived), Hugue (who escaped), Loretta (who was avoiding Leon), the Professor (an aging priest with short brown hair parted down the side, a cane in one hand and a pipe in another), and Sister Kate (a see-through nun with blonde hair, blue eyes with a mole right underneath her right eye).

"Tres! These people could be-" Abel was trying to convince the living doll to join his side.

"Negative, Father Nightroad. We have insufficient data on them." Tres' monotone voice cut through Abel's attempted argument. The silver haired priest's hands clenched. The one that had held 'Jazz Hands' hours before was still surprisingly warm to him.

"Why don't you ask…" Sister Loretta trailed off when Lady Caterina turned her piercing glaze on her. They would not be asking the Pope. Not now at least.

Father Leon turned to the silent Hugue. "Hey, Lolitacon! Did you get anything out of your Lolita?"

The room turned to the blushing Frenchman. It took all his will not to put his hand to his lips. "We didn't talk-"

Leon burst into laughter again. "I noticed!"

"Ara? What are you two talking about?" Abel remembered the state of the room where he caught up to 'Jazz Hands'. He still didn't know what had happened.

"That little Lolita shows up outta nowhere and smacks Hugue one right on the lips!" Leon was having far too much fun at the expense of the blond priest.

Father Hugue looked like he wanted nothing more than to sink into the carpet.

Lady Caterina had enough of the nonsense of her priests and turned back to the matter at hand. "Did they say anything else, Abel?"

He tilted his head to the side. "Only that they'd be unavalible tomorrow and the Silent Noise will go off on Saturday's Sunset Mass."

The Professor, William Walter Wordsworth, chewed on the end of his pipe. "That only gives us today, tomorrow and Saturday." He turned to Caterina for his next question. "How many bells have been checked?"

Sister Kate, the Captain of the Iron Maiden II, answered. "38 percent. We should be done long before Sunset Mass."

Abel chewed on the gloved nail of his thumb. "So we're going to ignore the threat of a traitor for now?"

"The Silent Noise comes first, Abel." Lady Caterina's tone left no room for arguments.

The Priest nodded solemnly. _'I'll just have to pray that everything turns out alright.'

* * *

_

Mar let the hot water massage out all the cares and worries of the day… or at least most of them. Many of her 'cares and worries' would need a seriously devoted masseuse to get out.

'_It would take hours.'_ She thought as she rested her head against the cooler tile of the shower. _'Maybe even days.'_

Her arms wrapped around herself as she tried to mimic the feeling of Abel's strong arm around her.

'_I like him.'_ She was too old to deny something like that. Her eyes' fluttered closed as her train of thought continued. _'It won't work though. Sain and Hugue have more of a chance…'_

Her heart clenched and her hand went up to cover the hidden wound that was taking place in her chest. She loved Sain and didn't want to see her hurt. _'He'll hurt her, doesn't she see that? It won't work out! We're too…' _Her eyes threatened to well up, and for once she let them.

She wasn't in the habit of feeling sorry for herself. Sain made sure of that. But sometimes…

She placed her hands on the tile, her fingers digging into the cracks.

'_Sometimes the world is so cruel, I can't help but cry.'_

She didn't cry for herself. She cried for Sain, for Hugue, for Abel, for Andro, for Noélle…

She cried for lost dreams and loves that would never be.

* * *

"Are you trying to drown yourself?!" Sain called from outside the door. Her over-sized, pink nightshirt was on and a plushy from her favorite character in a long forgotten game was being crushed in her arms. The water turned off a moment later and Mar appeared in the doorway with nothing but a towel on.

"I'm sorry." Mar had stopped crying a while ago but didn't want Sain to know. "I'm afraid I used all the hot water-"

Sain shot across the little distance between them and tightened her arms around Mar's far too thin waist. For once she was glad she was so skinny, Sain's small arms could wrap all the way around her.

"I don't care about that." Sain's voice was muffled by the towel. "Just don't leave me."

Mar let out a soft sigh, her hand coming up to tangle in Sain's undone hair. The clock above the lit fireplace read 12:01.

"My voice is terrible, but you know that….

"Just slip me on,  
"I'll be your blanket"

Sain joined her in the song as she tried to not sob.  
"Wherever, whatever, I'll be your coat…."

Mar tried not to have her gaze linger on the fire for too long, knowing she would see the ghost of another fire.


	15. Chapter 14: Best Hugger Ever

I didn't get the number of reviews that I wanted, but I'm so bored....

Check last chapter for disclaimer (I think)

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Chapter 14

Best Hugger Ever

Friday was coming to a close. And the Silent Noise Machine had still yet to be found.

All the bells in all the belfries in all of Rome had been searched. Nothing.

And Abel was making his 43rd pass in front of Minsy and Archie's room. All through the day a violin had been playing from their room, a hauntingly sad melody. It reminded him of a dark, lonely place inside of him and the whole of the Vatican was in a melancholy mood.

He stopped in front of the door for the 44th time and lifted his hand to knock on the door. He paused, bit his lip and lowered his hand. Origa told him to leave the two alone.

* * *

"Ms. Origa!" Abel opened the door of the singer's room to find her looking out the window. "What do you know of-"

"Father, while I realize that this is the Vatican, I thought you would have more manners than bursting through a woman's door at 10 in the morning." The silhouetted woman said without turning to him.

"Oh, I- um…" He started back stepping out the door again when she sighed.

"I don't know where the Silent Noise is. I didn't ask." She turned to look at him over her shoulder. "I knew that I would do or say something that would give the game up to the traitor."

Abel stood up straight, quickly becoming serious as he adjusted his glasses. "Ms. Origa, this is no game."

She turned to him fully then and gestured to the coach for him to sit as she poured some tea. "Sometimes it's best to think of it as a game so you don't break down." She stared off into the distance as she thought for a moment. "Better to be slightly disconnected to the truth than to be completely blind to it."

"Is that what happened Ms. Origa?" Abel tilted his head to the side as he looked at her. "You were blind to the truth?"

Origa nodded. "Yes. My friends kept getting murdered." She stared off again as she remembered. "In my heart, I knew who was doing it… but I couldn't bring myself to…" Her gaze fell to the ground as she struggled with her confession. "That's why I hired - them."

Abel had a pretty good guess of who 'they' were. "And they figured it out?"

Origa nodded. "For opening my eyes…" She raised her head to look the Priest in the eyes. "For showing me both the light and darkness that I turned away from, I will be forever grateful to them." She looked away again, her eyes losing focus. "For showing me this world of gray."

It was then that the violin started. Origa closed her eyes as if in pain while the melody sounded through the halls.

That brought another question to his mind.

"Why are they locked up in their room today?"

She cracked one eye open to give him a confused look. "Can't you tell? Listen."

It was a song of mourning.

* * *

The violin faltered and stopped on his 67th pass. He paused again before the door and wondered if the girls had fallen asleep. Midnight Mass would be starting any second.

'_I should probably go attend-'_ His thought stumbled when the door to the suite creaked open. The only light from inside seemed to be from the fireplace, casting shadows on Zoom's face.

"Can I help you, Father Nightroad?" She asked quietly. Her eyes were red and blood shot but her face was dry. Her hair looked like a bird tried to make its nest in it and failed. With her arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to keep in the heat, she looked small and frail to him.

"Is Miss…" He stumbled for the smaller girl's name. 'Fwoosh'? No, wait- "Minsy asleep?"

She opened the door wider so he could see the tiny girl curled up on the bed.

"Is that Vincent?" He noticed the plushy.

"From Final Fantasy? Yes." She grew silent when he wrapped his cloak around her shoulders and drew her into the hallway before closing the door quietly behind her. In another moment he was tucking her head under his chin while his arms wrapped around her.

While the movement itself felt natural to him, he started feeling awkward when he realized that he might be too friendly with the mysterious Zoom. His embarrassment melted away when her hands went under his arms to clench the back of his cassock.

She felt as though she was going to fall asleep and not wake up for months. '_This would probably be the second worst time for that to happen right now.' _Her head shifted to the crook of his neck and she breathed deeply. _'Abel Nightroad, you smell nice.'_ She held in a chuckle at the thought but not the sigh of contentment. _'Okay, enough cuddling. Time for me to pull away, look up at him and smile. Tell him I'm alright-'_ Her thought fizzled as one of his hands went to smooth out her hair while the other tightened around her waist. _'Well, craptastic.'_ Her body relaxed against her order. _'Note to self: Abel hugs are the best hugs ever. Avoid if at all possible.'_

"Miss Jazz? Are you alright?" She was prepared for the question and had her answer in advance but when his breath brushed her ear her voice decided that it didn't want to work at the moment. She settled for a feeble nod. She could feel his heart through his cassock and smell the blood flowing through his veins, making his pulse in his neck beat against her nose.

'_It's a good thing that I'm recovering and not hungry…'_ She suddenly remembered him putting in 13 spoons full of sugar into his tea today. _'On second thought, he would probably rot my teeth.'_

"-chai?" His hand that was once in her hair was now massaging the back of her neck. She quickly realized that she was putty in his hands.

'_Cancel the masseuse;_ _I just really hope that my legs still work.'_ "Hmm?" She said while she curled her toes. _'At least those still work.' _

"I asked," Abel began, his voice right in her ear. Her mind nearly crashed. As it was, the little voice in her head (the consequence of hanging out too much with Sain) cried out _'Not the ear!!! SHOULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION!'_ "If you would like to get some tea… and then I remembered that you like chai, so I asked if would like that instead, though I don't know if we have any in the kitchen-"

"Abel," She mumbled against his chest. "You're babbling…"

He chuckled weakly and apologized as she smiled.

'_Don't apologize, it's cute.'_ She stumbled away from him and wished she hadn't: the hallway felt at least 10 degrees colder, if not more. Mar smiled up at him. "I'm always up for chai. But if they don't have any, I suppose I could try your milk tea."

He smiled warmly at her, making her feel as through the hallway wasn't cold at all.

In the distance, a bell rang.

* * *

"Two cups of Oregon Chai, ready to drink!" Abel smiled again, warming her more than the chai could.

"So you're going to try it?"

"Might as well find out what the fuss is about." His smile turned into a half grin as he leaned against the table toward her.

She gave him a half hearted glare. _'Dammit Abel! Stop being cute!'_

"What?" He blinked, looking hurt at her action. "What did I do?"

She gave a smile of her own and turned away from him. "Nothing."

"So you're mad at me for no reason?" He pouted, sinking onto the table, hoping she would turn back to him.

She spotted the look from the corner of her eye. "Pretty much."

"That hardly seems fair." He looked so distraught, she had to laugh. He looked up at her from underneath his eyelashes.

'_Now **that** isn't fair!'_ She sighed before becoming serious. "I'm surprised you haven't asked me about the Silent-"

"ABEL!" A blonde haired Nun materialized beside them in the dining room.

Mar raised an unsteady hand to her rapidly beating chest. _'Okay, there is a holographic Sister. Good to know.'_

"Sister Kate?" Abel addressed the see-though nun. "What's wrong?"

"It's terrible!" She looked like she was going to cry. "Lady Caterina's under house arrest!"

Abel rose to his feet, shocked. "What? Why?!"

"She thought the Archbishop of Cologne's bell was the Silent Noise because it was the only one not checked…." Both workers of the church turned to stare at Mar as she leaned back in her chair. "Well, her head is on the chopping block, though she didn't mean to offer it up."

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4 reviews!!!


	16. Chapter 15: Unintentionally on Purpose

Still don't have the number of reviews I was looking for, but its been 18 days since I last updated...And this chapter feels like a filler to me.

Anyway.... This chapter is solely for people who looked at the last few lines of the last chapter and wondered exactly what Lady Caterina did to get herself in trouble. The dialogue was taken word for word from the Anime. WORD FOR WORD. I copied down word for word. Except Tres wasn't with Lady Caterina, Havel was... but he's doing something else in the Novels... So he's somewhere else and Tres has his lines. The Archbishop's description I took from the book.

Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood. So... no one in this chapter is mine.

Note: Andro= Alessandro's nickname. I just used that because it was easier. Apparently Caterina calls him Alec though...

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Chapter 15

Unintentionally on Purpose

Lady Caterina sighed as she put down her pen. She had been- trying, unsuccessfully- looking at reports from her agents in the field. As midnight approached, she wondered yet again if they would find the Silent Noise without the help of the two girls.

Someone knocked on the door. Thankful for the reprieve, she answered. "Enter."

Father William entered with Father Tres on his heels.

"Ah," she said as she saw them. **"Is it already time for the mass?"**

William nodded, his face looking unusually grim. **"Yes, but we must not ring the bell."**

Caterina blinked, the color suddenly draining from her face. **"You can't mean…!"**

"**Of course,"** William looked slightly embarrassed at the situation. **"We have no concrete evidence. But as long as we have not confirmed it, we must not ring it at any cost."**

She rose from her seat and began to rush to the door. **"Who's at the scene?"**

Tres answered in his monotone. **"Father Leon has gone ahead.** My lady should hurry too. **Starting with his Holiness, the other Cardinals have** **begun gathering there."**

She nodded as she marched down the hall, wishing her robes would allow her to run. **"Both of you know who donated that bell, right?"**

"**We understand perfectly that it was donated by the Archbishop Alfonso D'Este. Furthermore, we let it enter Rome without any checks as it was under the supervision of the Archbishop. All the bells in Rome have already been investigated. They've all turned up clean. Only that bell remains."** William strode alongside the Cardinal and the Killing Doll, feeling like something was amiss.

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Archbishop Alfonso D'Este had **recently turned fifty, but his white hair made him look much older. It was hard to believe that this aging man once was the leader of the cardinals, Director of the Department of Inquisition, and Foreign Affairs Minister. He had made drastic cuts in the Vatican's reforms. He was strict with himself and all the more rigid with others; he had no compassion at all to impious lords. When he was in power, many high-ranking church workers were burned at the stake, and many countries were attacked and overthrown. **

"**Il Furioso" – That had been his nickname.**

**His ash-colored eyes, sharp as needles, now gazed at his oldest nephew.**

"**I've heard about the incident of the declaration of hostilities, but wouldn't allowing the Department of Inquisition into the Cathedral draw public attention a little bit?"**

Cardinal Francesco di Medici frowned. He was a tall and always intimidating, a dark shadow who pressured his younger half brother, the Pope, to agree to his 'suggestions'. **"No,"**He began, his tone implying that his word was the last one. **"But, there is no harm in being on the alert."**

He blinked, realizing that the Pope was staring off into space. "Your Holiness, this is no time to be unaware!"

"Y-yes." Alessandro nodded. His brother had chosen interesting words. Out of all of the Vatican, he was the one with the most puzzle pieces.

He just couldn't do anything with them.

From the moment he was chosen as Pope, he knew he would be a figurehead. Everything would be decided for him. He had given up hope of having any power over even himself.

Until yesterday.

"_We know we are asking a lot from you, but at the moment, all you can do is wait. There is a time and place for everything. Let them continue to believe that you know nothing, but gently guide them to the desired result. You can do this."_

"_The first step is knowing what you want. Do you want Rome to fall and/or a traitor getting away?"_

'_I **CAN** do this.'_ He nodded again, this time steeling his resolve. He blinked, realizing Caterina wasn't there. _'Has she figured it out yet?' _**"Brother, our sister is rather late, isn't she?"**

Francesco's frown deepened. **"How dare Caterina make Your Holiness wait like this."**

Maybe he was entering his rebellious age or Sain had got to him, but Alessandro found himself trying not to roll his eyes.

Francesco moved to be in front of his half-brother, and Andro braced himself for what he knew as coming. **"It cannot be helped. The Mass must start at the appointed time."**

It wasn't a suggestion.

"**I-I suppose."** Andro looked away, already searching for the words he need, but Francesco had already begun speaking to those gathered. _'Well, he does save me from public speaking.'_ He felt… free-er, looser than he was two days ago.

"**Lords and Ladies gathered here, we will begin the Mass soon. Tonight, in Rome, we will sound the bell donated to us by Archbishop Alfonso D'Este for the first time."** Before Francesco or anyone else could move to the bell, a voice rang out.

"**Wait! Move it!"** Leon was trying to move past the guards that barred his way**. "Don't ring that bell!"**

"**Quiet down!"** A guard said, trying to push him back.

It was then that Brother Petro Orcini, the head of the Department of Inquisition, stood before the AX agent. He was a tall, buff man, perhaps more so than the Spanish agent, with his blue hair cut like a helmet around his head. If you could see it, that is. At the moment he was his full battle suit, which included a large helm that covered his forehead and the bridge of his nose. His giant mechanical lance called "The Screamer" was posed at Leon's chest. **"Who are you? You are being rude in the presence of his Holiness!"**

"**I just need a moment. Please, let me investigate that bell!"** Leon tried again to get through the guards in his way. It would be so much easier to punch one of them out, but then he would really be in hot water.

"**What nonsense!"** Petro bellowed.

Alessandro trembled, even though he was trying his hardest not to. "B-brother P-Petro-" He was cut off before he could say anything else.

"**You are, without a doubt, a subordinate of Caterina's, right?"** Francesco growled at the dark haired man.

"**Exactly."** Caterina, with her impeccable timing, glided into the room toward her subordinate.

"**The Duchess of Milan."** Leon said, almost in awe. A part of him didn't think she would come. If this was really the Silent Noise, she was in very real danger just by being there.

Alessandro felt conflicting emotions when she appeared. **"Sister."** It was a plea. For what, he didn't know.

"**For the time being, please suspend the Mass."** Catherina said smoothly as she stepped forward. She glanced at Petro and their eyes locked. After a brief struggled of wills, Petro lowered his "Screamer" and let her pass.

"**Let's have an explanation, Caterina."** Francesco said crossly. He didn't like Caterina interrupting the proceedings. It was one thing if _he_ did it, but another if it was her.

"**Brother, the bell donated by Uncle… I wonder if we could hold off ringing it for a little bit."** She said carefully, trying not to provoke Francesco's anger.

Too late.

"**What was that?! Don't tell me that you believe Uncle's bell to belong to the terrorists in question? Do you believe that Rome will be destroyed if we ring this bell?"** Francesco all but roared at his half-sister.

Alessandro shuddered, but he knew…

"**What I am saying is that the possibility exists."** Caterina's voice remained leveled. A shouting match was the last thing that they needed.

"**Based on what?"**

"**Since it was brought in by Uncle, due to the trust placed in him, it has not been investigated on the outside."**

"**What kind of jest is this?! What part of this bell do you suspect?!"** Francesco pointed to the bell as he shouted across the church. **"Or, do you think Uncle is allied with the terrorists?!"**

"**I am saying no such thing. It is just that we cannot underestimate the terrorists who destroyed Barcelona."** She turned to D'Este, who had his hand around the rope from the bell. **"Uncle, please let go of the rope. It may be that you are being used by the terrorists."**

"**Oh? To use me…? My bell is innocent."** D'Este looked at his nephews, niece and the rest of those attending the Mass. **"You won't even need to waste time investigating it."**

And he pulled the rope.

_**Dong! Dong!**_ Caterina had flinched when the bell sounded, for a moment believing she could feel Rome falling around her; punishment for her failure to stop it.

_**Dong! Dong! **_The bell continued but the ground didn't tremble. There were no alarmed guards coming in and reporting buildings falling.

The bell wasn't the Silent Noise.

_**Dong!**_ Caterina decided that she would hate that bell for all time for sounding _too_ cheerful. If it wasn't the Silent Noise, where was it? As the echoes returned to them, the gravity of what had just happened settled into Caterina's mind. She had made a mistake and now there would be consequences.

"**I wonder if the suspicion has been cleared, my dear Niece."** D'Este addressed the Lady Cardinal. For the shadow of a moment, she thought she saw a glimmer of victory in his eyes.

'_Nonsense. You were wrong, drop it.'_ She told herself.

"**Sister…"** Alessandro clasped his hands in front of him in prayer, hoping…

"**How will you atone for this error committed before His Holiness?"** Francesco's voice had finally lowered, but in triumph.

The Lady Cardinal's- no, Caterina's- steel gray eyes wavered.

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4 REVIEWS!! FOUR I SAY!!! NO LESS!!!


	17. Chapter 16: Good and Bad Consequences

Thank you so much White Lioness Tina for reviewing! Now I can do as you command and update!

Disclaimer: Do I really need to keep doing this? You should know what I own and don't by now...

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Chapter 16

Good and Bad Consequences

Francesco took Caterina's punishment very seriously. Her AX was to be disbanded, her status as a Duchess and her title as Cardinal were being revoked, and she was currently under house arrest at her home in Rome.

The Duchess missed Origa's performance at the Dawn Mass. The show went off without a hitch, the singer's fame rising to new heights. She kissed the Pope's hand at the end of the piece and was gone before noon.

And Abel was mad at her. Mar sighed as she sipped her chai as she watched others enjoying their teatime in cafés along the street. They, she and Sain, were now playing the waiting game. Since they didn't warn the Lady Cardinal about the bell, no one really trusted them anymore. Abel had stormed out of the room when she said that now was the time to act.

Sain had run off to go find Hugue, hopefully to convince him to listen.

It always hurt, not being trusted. She breathed deeply, her lungs filling to their fullest before she let it out slowly. She identified the pain in her chest, held it in her heart, _knew_ it for what it really was… and then let it go. Thus Mar was back in control, calm, serene and utterly alone.

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"Are you really not going to talk to me?" Hugue looked up at the (now) familiar voice. Sain was perched like a cat on the waist high (to him anyway) wall. He regarded her for a moment before coming to a decision.

"Why didn't you tell us?" He said softly as he turned and started striding away. Sain jumped down and skipped after him.

"Tell you what? That the bell wasn't the Silent Noise? We're trying to catch a-"

"Traitor. Yes, I heard." Hugue replied solemnly. He turned to look at her from the corner of his eye when she began shaking her head.

"You still think there is only one traitor?" She stopped and looked up at him with her childlike eyes.

Hugue's eyes widened as he stopped and looked down at her. "How many?"

She shrugged. "We don't know." She said off handedly. She tucked a stray strand of hair ebony hair that had escaped back behind her ear.

He tilted his head to the side. "You don't know?" Something told him _**that **_was not normal and not at all good.

Her nose twitched as he stared down at her. It was her only sign of discomfort. "We don't know everything, but what we do know is extensive…"

"So there are a lot." He looked up to stare out into the distance.

"A lot, a lot." She nodded.

Hugue spun on his heel and began racing down the hall.

"Aw! I see! Only want to talk to me because you want something! I see how it is!!" Sain shouted down the hallway at him. "Well, if you want anything else, you better bring me chocolate!! AND FLOWERS!!! ROSES AND AMARANTH!!! THE ROSES HAVE TO EITHER BE RED OR YELLOW!! ACTUALLY, HAVE THEM BE BOTH- He can't hear me, can he?" She asked a passerby who was staring at her.

* * *

"Sister Noélle!!" Abel, Leon and a young sister-in-training with bright red hair and shinning blue eyes awaited the newly recovered nun. Noélle flicked her onyx hair over her shoulder as she stepped off the train platform, trying not to shiver as she remembered the mess that was the Sants Estacio's Platform 3.

"Welcome back!" The smaller nun said as she smiled up at her.

"It's good to see you, Ester, Abel." She nodded to the both of them as she said their names, her hips swaying as she approached. She dropped her bags to give Ester a hug. "Abel, get the bags."

"Ah, yes!" The clumsy priest quickly moved to get them.

"Hey, what about me?" Leon said as he moved to embrace the returned nun.

"Grope me and I'll break your arm." He lifted his hands up in a surrender gesture. "Help Abel with the bags."

"Yes ma'am." He grimaced as Abel tossed him a bag. "You just gave me the heavier one, didn't you?"

"Hey, if you had been a gentleman and just taken the bags before asked, you might have gotten the lighter one."

"WHA?! You didn't pick up the bags until you were told!"

"I wasn't given enough time to respond. She dropped and ordered!"

Noélle laughed as she guided Ester to the road to lead them back Rome. "Ester, you sure you want to be an AX agent? You'll have to hang out with these morons more."

"Morons?!" Both priests shouted, flabbergasted. Commuters gawked at them.

"You sure you want to saying such things when we're carrying your-" Leon began, winding up to drop the bag.

Noélle stopped him with a look. He froze and smiled awkwardly.

"Glad to help!"

Noélle paused until he was astride her before expertly jabbing him in the side. He squeaked and fell over.

"Father Leon!" Ester disengaged herself from Noélle to help the fallen priest.

"Ah, Sister Ester! You're the second greatest woman!" The Spaniard said from his position on the ground. It was a complement coming from him. The first greatest woman in his book was his own daughter. "We should have that date sometime soon, sí?" He winked; reminding her of the first time they had met when she swore (because she thought he was dying) to go on a date with him until dawn. The young nun colored as she thought of a response.

While Ester was helping Leon back to his feet, Abel took the opportunity to speak with Noélle. "You sure you want to be an AX agent again?"

Noélle nodded. "I remembered why I was an AX agent in the first place." She said thoughtfully as she walked across the street. Abel hurried to keep up with her. "What are we doing about the Silent Noise?"

Abel frowned. "With Lady Caterina locked up, we can't do much of anything. Because we've checked all the bells, Francesco believes that there is no Silent Noise in the city."

Noélle sighed and rubbed her temple. This was far from good news. "And what did the girls say?"

"Oro?" Abel looked at her strangely, like she had bumped her head. She _had_, but he was looking at her like there was lasting damage from it. "The girls?"

"The ones from the platform in Barcelona?" By now Leon had caught up and was looking at her much like Abel was.

"They-" the two priests looked at each other quizzically before turning back to the nuns. "We-"

"They know what they're doing." Noélle said solemnly. "And at the moment, we don't."

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Four is the lucky number! Not three, not two! And one is right out! FOUR REVIEWS!! YOU GUYS CAN DO IT!!!


	18. Chapter 17: Not Where You're Suppose to

Disclaimer: I own Mar, Sain, Jen, Jaz, Jim, Moni, Robyn, the two detectives (that may or may not ever come into play again) and now Brad Layson. Everyone else belongs to Sunao Yosida.

Okay, so my English teacher, after trying to get us for more than a month to write a story, decided that mine (not this one, another one which followed all the requirements) wasn't what she wanted. And then she told me what I _could_ write. So now I have to start all over again... -cries-

Also, she thinks that giving the reader a 'button' (an explanation or background story for an event) makes it so the reader can put the book down. Which, according to her, is what you _don't _want.

Sorry old lady, but I think leaving the reader guessing about too many things is cruel. So you guys get background on everyone (that I deem important). Of course, I'm not going to just give you all the background at once... _that _would be too easy. So I'm giving you bits and pieces of it... a little bit at a time. The more important the character is to the story, the more scattered about their background (the exception being Hugue)! So then you have to read everything! MUAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!

-coughs-

Don't worry though, I have a timeline all figured out so I won't be wishy washy and confusing... hopefully.

Anyway, after this story wraps up (in another few chapters) I'll be moving on to Got a Hunch From the Empire (Hopefully over Christmas break when I have time to write). I'll retitle this story Got a Hunch About the Silent Noise. Unless someone has a better idea for the titles.

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Chapter 17

Not Where You're Suppose to Be

"I remember you."

After running from the train station to the Vatican and then following the clues to Mar, these were the first words out of Noélle's mouth.

Mar blinked mercury eyes at her before looking at the others behind the newly re-instated AX agent. Her gaze immediately fell on Abel but before he could react (or even understand the emotion he saw), she had turned to Leon and Esther.

"I remember you too." She said quietly after a moment of awkward silence. "You were in the papers, yes? For that thing in Barcelona?"

Abel's face twisted into an uncharacteristic scowl. So she was back to pretending?

Noélle was already shaking her head. "Not Barcelona. Before. The Brad Layson Arsons."

Layson was an infamous arsonist that burned down several homes and ended almost as many lives in Carafell, a city around 60 km from Barcelona. Even though it was just a small town, Layson's acts turned the attention of the entire world onto them, which was his plan all along. When he was taught, the interest of the media and the public went with him, leaving behind a burnt and broken town.

However, the people who caught Layson were never identified and some rumors said that they stopped him from a particularly destructive blaze, one that would have taken out half the town.

Mar paused for less than a second, but Abel saw it.

"The Layson Arsons? That was a long time ago. Most people who know of it would be older than you though, right?"

"You know, my mother is still convinced I was pulled out of our house by a Seraph?" Noélle cocked her head to the side. "I don't know if she would be disappointed if she found out you're flesh and blood or amaze-"

"Miss, do I look over thirty to you?"

It was a loaded question, she knew. If you're older than you appear, you might (must) be a vampire.

"Miss Jazz?" Mar looked up when Abel called her. "Are you human?"

A rueful smile touched her lips.

"Aren't we all?"

* * *

Hugue raced down the hallway that lead to Lady Caterina's quarters before sliding to a stop in front of her door. Tres was there, as usual, but so were members of the Department of Inquisition, to keep her Eminence from leaving. They bared his way as he approached.

"I must speak with Lady Caterina." He said, shifting his weight in case he had to go into a stance. It would look bad if he fought them, but it would be even worse if what he needed to say went unheard.

The guards looked at each other for a moment. Their orders were to keep the Lady Cardinal from leaving, not anyone from entering. After a silent debate, they let him pass.

The French swordsman opened the door. "Lady Caterina-!" He paused as he took in the scene. "Oh," He said. "I'll come back later."

He quietly shut the door behind him and caught Tres' eye. The Inquisitorial squad shared looks again but shrugged it off as the two AX agents walked away.

As soon as they were out of sight of the guards, Hugue began to run, Tres tailing him.

"Requesting reason for unusual behavior, Father Hugue." The Killing Doll asked as they turned a corner.

Hugue looked at the android from beneath his hair. "You mean you didn't know?"

"Negative. Know what?"

The swordsman turned another corner, hoping to catch sight of a small girl in a Lolita-style dress. "Lady Caterina isn't in her room."

* * *

Sain scowled at Abel as she approached him from behind. As he was beginning to feel the skin on the back of his neck heat up, she pushed him out of his chair at Mar's table and took his spot. When he rose to protest, she hissed at him like a cat.

"Only cool people are allowed at this table. You're no longer qualified." She growled at him before turning back around. She considered dumping his tea on him too, but downed it instead.

Esther, who sat on Mar's right, looked at Abel with concern as he pouted his way to a vacant chair next to an already voted off Leon.

"It's alright Abel; you can sit with me at the Man table."

Noélle, sitting on Mar's left, snorted as she took a sip of her tea. The nun was startled when she heard that the AX agents and the girls (Sain and Mar) were having trust issues. There was still time before sun set, so she was trying to bridge that gap.

"But I used to be cool!" Abel turned back to the 'Cool Table'. Mar still wouldn't make eye contact with him since he asked her if she was human. He had seen her run through daylight, so she couldn't be a vampire. Could she be like him? He mentally shook off the thought. She didn't smell like a Crusnik. "How'd I suddenly become uncool?"

"By being a dickwad." Sain answered with a straight face. The two nuns and Leon choked into their teas and coffee. "What?" She asked them, confused at their reactions.

"You must forgive Boba-"

"-Minsy-" Sain corrected after she ordered some tea of her own.

"She's just had a lot of sugar and I'm surprised that she is sitting still as it is."

Abel looked at the smaller girl. "How many aliases do you have?"

"One for every child Hugue and I will have."

This time they all choked.

"Good Lord." Mar said when she could finally breathe. "We don't need that many little yous running around."

"Oh, they'd be blonde though!" Sain rubbed her stomach suggestively. Those who swore themselves to the service of God gawked at her.

"Sa- Minsy, stop teasing them." Mar acted like she didn't almost say Sain's real name as the smaller girl kicked her under the table. "And stop playing footies with me." She looked up as she spotted someone. "Oh, speak of the devil."

Hugue came to a stop next to them, breathing hard.

"Where's my-" Sain started.

"I need your-" Hugue began.

Mar's voice cut through them both as she spotted Hugue's tag along.

"Tres, what. Are. You. Doing. Here." The priests and nuns snapped their heads toward Mar, her eyes wide. Sain's turned toward the mechanized soldier.

"You're supposed to be with Lady Caterina."

Mar cursed as she stood, dropping money on the table to pay the tab.

"How'd-?!" Sain turned to the group, eyes ablaze. "Morons! Trust your instincts!"

"What?" Esther was as confused as the rest of them. "What do you mean-"

"You where right that one of the Archbishop's 'gifts' was the Silent Noise. And now Lady Caterina is probably meeting with him." Mar was already speeding away. "Keep up with me; I'm going to the Lady. Someone go to the Obelisk."

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Getting ready for the climax... 4 REVIEWS!!!!

On a different note, I was recently watching YuGiOh the abridged series. So when I wrote 'Obelisk' I thought, 'Obelisk the Tormentor'. Which then had me saying 'Torrrment!'


	19. Chapter 18: Where You At?

Sorry guys! This one is all my fault. I thought that I only had three reviews, but I had 4 for quite a while now.

But good news!! ENGLISH IS OVER!!! NO MORE CRAZY TEACHER!!!

Disclaimer: I own Mar, Sain, Jim, Jen, Jaz, Robyn, and Moni (and those other two detectives). Everyone else belongs to Sunao Yoshida. Everything in bold is taken from his book, Silent Noise.

I really should rename the story soon...

And now, for the chapter:

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Chapter 18

Where You At?

**Belvedere Palace was a tasteful baroque building located inside the Vatican. Adjoining a museum that contained numerous masterpieces, it was used chiefly as lodgings for the common lords who visited as guests of the Pope.**

**Alfonso stood by the window in one of its luxurious private rooms**, thinking. His nephew, Francesco, had just left after apologizing for Caterina's actions. The old man's eyes were still gentle after his speech of forgiveness. **"Your only uncle, eh?"** He commented to the night air, using the words Francesco spoke. **Suddenly his lips broke into a thin smile. "You betrayed your only uncle! Are you coming, Mager?"**

"_**Ja**_**." Alfonso's shadow moved across the carpet, writhed like a living person, rising, growing thicker.** **When it stood, pulling lines of blackness to its center, the shadow changed into a man with long black hair. "Isaac Fernand von Kampfer, at your service. What do you require, Your Grace?"

* * *

**

The chubby, old man cursed in Spanish as the noon sun reflected off the city nearly blinded. The flight from Albion was harder to get than he thought, but would have been impossible had it not been for the girls making contacts with pilots. Their friend had dropped them outside of Rome because of their 'cargo'.

Moni held his hand out for a taxi and had to dodge a gypsy. Luckily the man didn't seem to notice, or care, that Moni and his companion were armed to the teeth. His curses became louder until he saw Robyn move across the street to a parked car.

"Do you have a mask?" She said softly, already wearing a masquerade mask with bird feathers attached.

He pulled a green one from his pocket and placed it on his face with a sigh. "How much more time do we-?"

Robyn took the butt of one of her guns and shattered the window of the car. She unlocked it, opened the door and brushed off the glass before getting in to hotwire it. "I have no idea. I'm not Sain. Do I know where it is? No, I'm not Mar. I'm Robyn, and I do know that a taxi won't take us with guns."

Moni groaned at his thoughtlessness before gently placing his things in the back seat. "Move over, I'm the faster hotwire-er. Try to see if you can get them on the phone again."

* * *

"**You are Peter, and on this rock I will found my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." The San Pietro Cathedral, built on the gravesite of Saint Peter, who was Christ's first disciple and the very first Pope, resembled a huge gravestone.**

**Laid to rest there were many famous papal leader: before the Armageddon, Johannes Paulo II, who fought against communism, a political doctrine based on revolutionary Marxian socialism, which was adopted by half the countries in the world; as well as Innocentius XVI, who was said to have been martyred during the Dark Ages, when the war with the vampires began; not to mention Sylvester XIX, who led the eleventh crusade. Most of the successive generations of Popes were at peace in the underground tombs. Large enough to rival any cathedral on Earth, the underground church, furnished with a ceiling nearly ninety feet high, was divided into dozens of rooms. Each Pope's gravesite had a sarcophagus and a tombstone.**

**Five years ago, Pope Gregorio's grave was constructed, using extremely magnificent decoration, in accordance with all the wonderful achievements he'd made during his lifetime. Now, Caterina stood before the small mountain that was her father's grave marker, silent.**

She was torn, part of her thinking about the man before her and his feelings toward her (they had rarely spoken to each other) and her current predicament. Her thoughts kept turning back to the girls. Was it indeed wrong to trust them? Would she be here if she had just done what they asked?

"**Forgive me for keeping you waiting, Caterina. Sorry for summoning you after you've been placed under house arrest, but we needed to talk." A broken voice interrupted her silly thoughts. The corridor's door opened slightly and closed immediately after.**

**Caterina respectfully bowed her head. "I apologize for last night, Your Grace."**

"**Please, don't be so formal, my niece. We're the only ones here." Alfonso smiled generously as he took Caterina's hand. He tilted his head slightly as he noticed the bags under her eyes. "Sorry for summoning you so suddenly. Haven't you rested yet?"**

"**No, I… never mind that, Uncle. Are you all right?"**

It was ten minutes before sunset. **Although she was under house arrest and therefore couldn't go, Alfonso should attend the sunset mass. She wondered what his motive was in summoning her now.**

"**All the messenger told me was that you wanted to speak to me confidentially. What could you want of me, Uncle?"**

"**My niece, what do you think of the current Vatican?"

* * *

**

"Keep up, Slow Pokes!" Sain called to the nun and priests behind her.

"Why," Leon gasped for breath as sweat poured down his face. "Is the shortest person here faster than us?"

Mar slowed to a stop in front of the gates to the Vatican, Esther slung over her shoulder in a fireman's hold. The novice nun couldn't keep up with the battle ready group but Mar didn't seem to be slowed by the extra weight. Sain slid next to her, followed closely by Abel and the others.

"Apparently they don't want us to go in." Abel said as he surveyed the group in front of them. There was a giant who held a two-handed straight sword, a woman with small needles in her fingertips and a company of special police blocking the entrance.

"You are Cardinal Sforza's people?" One of the special police asked them.

Sain and Mar shared a glance before the former raised her hand.

"Technically, we aren't."

Leon opened his mouth, but Abel raised his hand to silence him.

Mar stepped forward to bring herself closer to the officer. "It's common curtsey to give out your name, yes?"

"Lieutenant Jiroramo Montesecco. Who are you? And if you aren't with the Cardinal, then what is your business-?"

"Father Nightroad, you will continue with Minsy and Honeyduke III to Lady Caterina." Tres only needed a moment to plan their next course of action. "Father Leon, Sister Noélle, please destroy the Obelisk. Father Hugue and I will take care of-"

"Move." Sain whispered, but the effect was immediate.

Mar dove to the side with Montesecco and Esther. The AX agents jumped aside when they heard the car engine (something they shouldn't hear this close to the gateway) rev before the vehicle drove through their ranks and broke down the gate.

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4 REVIEWS!!!


	20. Chapter 19: There is No 'I' in 'Team'

Okay guys, this is and, at the same time, isn't my fault. I am unsure if I notified the people who are my fourth reviewers that I had a chapter up. Even if I did, I didn't have this chapter completed until last night.

Had a great Vacation. I had planned on updating a chapter for Christmas and New Years as gifts to all of you, but then I got a Tablet. I'm Poisyn-Maikyll on deviantART if you want to. Just put the name, . and you can see my attempts at drawing Sain and Mar.

Anyway, to make up for the lack of updates and to end this soon, this chapter is twice as long as the usual chapters. Enjoy! Four Reviews wanted.

Best of Wishes for the coming year: Harpmaker, Wepp, White Lioness Tina, The Girl in the Moon, transition, and SageofAges729. If you reviewed and I missed you, I'm sorry!

Double thanks to Pyro!!!

Everyone else... REVIEW!! Best wishes too!

Disclaimer: I own Mar, Sain, Jim, Jen, Jaz, Robyn, and Moni (and those other two detectives). Everyone else belongs to Sunao Yoshida. Everything in bold is taken from his book, Silent Noise.

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Chapter 19

There Is No 'I' In 'Team'

The gates were trashed, stones littered the streets, and the twisted metal framework flew farther into the Vatican. The car that had caused this damage had a crushed engine compartment and flipped over.

The special police were cluttered like the stones, most unconscious while others groaned pitifully.

As Mar rose to her feet, so too did the giant of the Inquisition. Getting up was as far as he got before the passenger door of the car hit his front, bashing in his face and causing him to sail backward. He didn't get back up.

The man wielding the car door rose to his full stature, a dark green mask obscuring his face as he observed the damage the vehicle caused. Mar put the dazed Esther back on her feet and bent to help Abel and Leon to their feet as Sain approached the car.

"So, Snake…." Sain danced around the rubble before jumping onto the bottom end of the trunk and perching there like a cat. She smiled brightly at 'Snake'. "Did you have a good trip?"

Moni frowned at her. "You're-! You-!" He took a deep breath to calm himself, his cheeks tinted red in anger.

"You're supposed to be on vacation." A cool voice said from the other side of the car. Sain yelped before leaping off the car and running to Mar.

"No! Don't go to me! Hide somewhere else!" Mar called to Sain as she ducked behind Abel. Sain changed direction mid-step and fled to Hugue.

A girl stepped out from behind the car wearing a feathered mask, holding an AK- 47 in one hand, several belts of ammunition, and a wicked looking dagger in her combat boots.

"H-Hi Birdy!" Sain called from behind Hugue. The Priests and Nuns of the Vatican had taken battle stances fearing a new enemy had appeared in the chaos. "Oh, and you brought Vera's evil twin sister!"

Robyn leveled the two investigators of 'Got a Hunch' with her cool gaze. "Cat, Bear." She said, looking at Sain and Mar respectively.

Mar clutched the back of Abel's cassock in her hands and let out a shuddering breath before calling out herself. "Hi Bird."

Snake looked at the Ax agents and sighed. "What are you guys waiting for? You're trying to save Rome, aren't you?"

Abel blinked. "What?"

The older, obviously enhanced (if how he used the door was any indication) man stepped aside to widen the path.

"Okay." Mar took another breath. "Snake, you got any explosives in there?"

Moni looked at Robyn, who nodded.

"Wha? And they didn't go off?"

Robyn didn't see the speaker, but leveled the group with a glare anyway.

"Original plan revised. Father Hugue and I will continue with Father Nightroad to Lady Caterina's-" His next work was almost cut off as Sain squealed in delight and squeezed Hugue around his middle. "Location." Tres looked at the suddenly much calmer Mar. "'Snake' and 'Bird' will continue with Father Leon-"

"Oh! Watch out for the giant worms!" Sain suddenly said helpfully before running after Mar, who had picked up a protesting Esther again. They all gave her a look before Leon shrugged.

"I guess we'll find out what she means when we get there." He said encouragingly to his group of now four. He and Bird quickly retrieved the explosives from the car while the other group vanished from sight. The Spanish man bowed in the middle when they were ready, gesturing for Sister Noélle and Bird to go ahead of him before running after them with Snake right behind.

* * *

"**My niece, what do you think of the current Vatican?"**

"**Well, if you ask me that…" Caterina knitted her eyebrows, not committing to an answer.** Abel's retelling of his meeting with Archie (or Miss Zoom as he called her) was still fresh on her mind. And the girl was right: they were keeping far too many secrets. Francesco from her, herself from Francesco and the two of them were keeping things from the rest of the church, including Alessandro.

She bit back a sigh as the feeling of being so… so _stupid_ washed over her. Perhaps if she had worked harder to convince Francesco of the threat…

She turned her attention back to her uncle. She couldn't guess what was on his mind. **Why would he want to gossip with his imprisoned niece at a time like this? She was at a loss, which was a rare thing. **

Finally, after taking much stalk and wondering where this was headed, she said, **"The five years since the former Pope died have passed without any serious errors, but what of it?"**

"'**Without any serious errors'?" Do you really think so?" Alfonso looked up at the tombstone overhead. Thanks to the complex air conditioning system, the underground climate temperature seldom rose above forty degrees Fahrenheit. As the Archbishop of Cologne growled his hard opinions, his breath puffed out in white clouds. "Cologne is a remote place, but rumors of Rome's bad reputation reach me there, as well. They say that the church workers are morally corrupt, that the church is flattered by gifts and bribes from the common lords, and that the Pope – who should be God's representative on Earth – is little more than a puppet to his older brother and sister."**

"**Uncle!"** Caterina could hear no more. She had taken care of some morally corrupt agents under her (and took in some criminals) and while she had been offered several gifts from the lords, most were for marriage proposals and any she had been forced to accept (on pain of angering the lord and losing his support) went to charities. But the last accusation she could not argue out of.

But for her uncle to be saying such things….

"**Uncle –no, I mean Archbishop d'Este. Your opinion is impious. Please, be silent." **An uneasy feeling that had been in her gut since news of the Silent Noise reached her grew more discomforting.

"**Niece… Caterina…" His curved back suddenly straightened, and the old vigor that once belonged to Il Furioso to returned to his voice. "I'm buying your brain, Caterina. It's too precious to let it rot under a leader like Alessandro." **She seethed silently but he continued without noticing**. "If I add your wits to my ideals, what could be more heartening? How about it, Caterina? Would you come with me? By all means, I want you to exert your powers and participate in our new Vatican."**

"'**New Vatican'?"** Her blood ran cold. _**What is he saying?**_

**Alfonso's face was sincerity itself as he stared at her **increasingly weary** expression. "Caterina, come with me. Let's destroy this rotten Vatican and build a new world together. By all means, I want you to take part in the new order I'm going to establish."**

Caterina took a step back in shock. Had her uncle gone mad?

**Suddenly she noticed his shadow was pulsating. The strangely thick, dark form now stood up, drawing black lines around it. It reminded her of an animated corpse, rising out of a pitch-black swamp.**

Something clicked.

The Duchess of Milan looked at the Archbishop of Cologne with new eyes, sharper than a hawk and more dangerous than a sharpened blade.

"You are with the Orden. You are their client."

"**Your subordinates are quite superb, Caterina. Last night, I was scared stiff by what they might have discovered."**

**The eyeless faces of the shadow demons known as Schatten Cohort turned toward Caterina, looking fiercely hungry.**

'_You must risk your all.'_ Abel had relayed to her the words of the two girls. Her 'all'?

She rose to her full height before her uncle as he began to rant about the corruption and defilement of the church and the world.

She hadn't even begun to use 'her all'.

"**Certainly, the world may be defiled.** The world is defiled! It has been defiled since the time of Adam! **However…"** **Her beautiful face telegraphed her determination and confidence in what was right. With a look of scorn and pity, she mercilessly shouted at her uncle: "No matter how corrupt, it's our duty to protect this world –it's a sacred compact. I will carry out my duty!"**

"**I see. So be it." Alfonso snapped his fingers. The grotesque shadow demons raised their heads as if they suddenly had been released from chains.**

"'_**Wer geboren werden will mu**__**β eine welt zerstören**_**- those who are born must destroy the world' –Hesse. It's a pity, Duchess of Milan."**

"A pity?" She said to buy time. She knew what was going to happen next.

"That you will die here. Alone. I wonder what your subordinates are doing right now."

'…_is it not good to have friends around?'_

A pain, like a single stab from a needle of ice, logged itself in her heart. She liked to believe her subordinates were her friends. She hadn't told them that she was coming here.

**Caterina stood her ground as the demons rushed at her. Staring at her impending death, she didn't so much as twitch. While her slender body was swallowed up by black shadows, her razor-sharp eyes sparkled as if she were a total stranger to the concept of defeat.**

But they were darkened by sadness.

**Abruptly, the doors blew apart.**

"Lady Caterina!" Abel cried as he raised his Peacemaker.

**Caterina's expression brightened. "Abl**-!"

She was interrupted by the spray of cover fire that came from Sain's Ak-47 and Tres' twin handguns. Mar danced around the shadow demons and bullets with the horrified Esther still slung over her shoulder until she was beside the Lady Cardinal.

"Sister Esther, please escort Lady Caterina to safety!"

Esther patted her cheeks to get the blood to flow the right way again and clear her head before taking a hold of Caterina's hand to lead her to the door.

"Wait." The Cardinal pleaded before turning back to her uncle. "It's not too late-!"

"Don't bother, Lady Caterina." Sain said while resting Vera on her hip. "That's not the Archbishop." She turned to the old man. "You are the one from Barcelona?"

Abel grounded his teeth as he realized who this was. "Lady Caterina, please get to safety!"

The thin lips of 'Alfonso' broke into a cruel smile. "Ahh… you must be the one who caused all that damage? How did you do that, by the way? I heard that explosives were used…" He trailed off. "But it would have been near impossible to position them in all the right places and have the exact timing to make it look like the Silent Noise worked." He smiled again. "I didn't realize I had been tricked until the damage reports came in.

"But I suppose a better question is how you knew about the Silent Noise…"

Hugue cut down a shadow demon that rushed at Sain while she was busy giving Caterina and Esther cover fire. She flashed him a smile before blowing out the brains of another as the fleeing non-combatants left the area.

"Bloody hell." Mar swore as she dodged a slash from a member of the Schatten Cohort, revealing for the first time an accent to her voice. Abel raised his arm and took aim but was too late and gawked as Mar jumped and kicked the demon's head clean off. "Cat, take out the Puppet Corpse!"

Sain pointed Vera at Alfonso and fired, tearing holes in clothes and flesh. However, **the Archbishop stood still and blood didn't gush from the penetrating wound**s**. Instead, black sand energetically poured forth, piling on the floor. The archbishop's smiling face wilted as though his corpse were being deflated.**

"**Archbishop d'Este already has left Rome. He's busy preparing for the establishment of the new Vatican. Before the destruction of Rome, he wished me to try to speak with his niece. Now, you've heard his words."**

**Instead of Alfonso, a shadow spread across the floor. The darkness writhed and thickened; a man in a black suit stood there, his long black hair waving elegantly.**

**The man smiled pleasantly. "**_**Guten**__ Abend_, all of you. **Wizard of Machines Issaac Fernand von Kampfer presents himself."

* * *

**

Stayed tune for the thrilling (hopefully) conclusion.

Guten Abend means 'Good Evening'. In the books, the Silent Noise is suppose to go off at dawn but I changed it to sunset. So I had to change what he said too.

Lady Caterina is out of character and forever on will be. The book has her being very shocked at her uncle being with the Orden, but before she was certain his bell was the Silent Noise (well, I'm stretching it a bit, in mine I combined Anime with Novella). I think it's closer to human nature to jump at the chance of being right, even if it means that your relation is wrong.

But then again, my family is paranoid.

Also, I'll have her (and Alessandro and mmmmaaaayyybbbeee Francesco) changing... differently than she did in the books/Anime/Manga.

REVIEW!


	21. Chapter 20: Why Taunting is Bad

For some reason my back hurts....

Anyway, thanks so much for the quick responses! I'll try to update again soon, but you might have to wait until next Monday for it.

I had planned on ending this by chapter 18, but things just kept happening. Silly, silly me. And then I planned to have this done by chapter 20.... And here it is and we're still not done. So now we are aiming for chapter 22. Sorry that its taking so long. These guys are dragging their feet.

Abel: Me? -cue puppy dog look-

Yes, you. I must admit though, in the Anime and the novels, it did take you longer... well, you mopped a lot in those....

Anyway, see a different chapter for disclaimer. I'm tired... I've got homework to do.

Edit: Sometimes I hate Fanfiction. It decided to bold things that were clearly my work.. Thank you, SageofAges729, for catching it.

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Chapter 20

Why Taunting Your Enemy is Always a Bad Idea

As the sun set, the sky turned velvety black. The pillars that encircled the plaza cast long shadows, which faded with each passing moment.

**The hum of countless voices inside the cathedral could be heard. The time for** evening **mass fast approached. A group of nuns crowded the plaza, each woman wearing a displeased expression. News of this morning's scandal had spread, so the plaza entrance guards were being terribly strict during this **evening's** security checks. It put everyone in a bad mood.**

"Let me handle this." Noélle said quickly before approaching the Swiss Guards at the gate.

The Swiss Guard had served as body, ceremonial and palace guards long before pre-Armageddon times. The Papal Swiss Guards here was founded in 1506 and was the only Swiss Guard that still existed. Their official dress uniform of blue, red, orange and yellow might have looked clownish, but the long swords at their sides and the traditional "Vatican long sword", an eight-foot spear with a razor-sharp scythe, threw out all comical thoughts. The two guarding the gate looked ready to take down any threat to the City Closest to God.

Or prevent any AX members from entering.

Noélle sauntered over to the guards, a smile spreading across her face when she came to rest beside them.

"_Signora_, we need to see your ID." One of them told her, unconsciously changing his center of gravity slightly to face her more as she shifted her weight, lifting her hip.

Robyn and Moni moved closer to the walled hallway that blocked them from the plaza. The moment the guards' attention was on the recently reinstated AX agent, Moni snaked an arm around Leon's upper chest and leapt up to land on the roof. Robyn was already there, crouched down and watching the nuns and priests who were milling around the plaza. And the obelisk.

Leon had enough smarts not to cry out when he was lifted into the air like a doll. Even so, he gasped out when he was released from 'Snake's' iron grip.

"The He- How'd-" He looked dumbly at Moni and Robyn.

"Quite literally mind over matter. Almost anyone can do it with training." Moni answered as he surveyed the ground.

"Seriously? Why haven't I heard about this?"

"People with this training can achieve near Methuselah strength and speed." 'Bird's' body tightened like a cord as she spoke. "Either you go down and-"

"Wait. _Why haven't I heard about this_?!"

Moni looked at him from the corner of his eye. "The Vatican already spends millions on making a handful of enhanced soldiers as powerful as Methuselah. If they found out that they could inexpensively train hundreds of soldiers-"

'_There would be nothing to stop another war. Methuselah are at least stopped by the sun, but humans had no such weakness…'_

"It would be a blood bath. Shi-"

"Shh!" Robyn raised a hand and tilted her head to the side, as if listening to something. Leon became very suddenly aware of his surroundings, like he was in some kind of un-seeable danger.

The blonde's eyes went wide before she dove off the building and into a nun, pushing her off the pavement and onto the smooth marble stones of the hallway.

**The stone pavement split open. A creature flew out,**grasping at nothing were the nun's leg used to be.

**"What the hell _is_ that?**"

"No idea." Moni replied, shaken but calm asNoélle used the chaos to enter the plaza. "Evacuate everyone. We'll set the bomb."

"Like hell you are. I'll set the bomb, you evacuate everyone. I can sense where they're coming from too." And Leon could, though his battle hardened senses. Moni looked at him hard for a moment before nodding. It wasn't fame that the AX agent was after, but safety: bombs were never safe.

'Snake' grabbed a hold of Leon again before leaping next to the obelisk as **cracks appeared in the pavement, meaning that the creature moved with considerable speed whenever it was underground. **The two Swiss Guards, Noélle and Robyn had quickly gotten to work moving people from the area of danger to safety.

**The moment **they** set down the fissures in the stone paving stopped moving for a moment; then, the cracks splayed in another direction. Like a shark that detected the scent of blood, the creature rammed straight toward **the two Spaniards**.**

Moni and Leon glanced at each other before an unspoken plan was formed. Moni raced away from the obelisk and Leon, the cracks following. As Leon turned his attention to the Silent Noise, the creature flew out of the crack**. A huge earthworm- its body as thick as a man's torso- opened its terrible jaws. It bared its fangs** and bit at the giant aging man.

The sound of gunfire echoed throughout the plaza. **The earthworm- otherwise known as "the Gnome"**-suddenly gave a scream of pain as Robyn opened fire with her AK-47. **It pulled itself into its hole with lightning speed.**

"I don't think it'll be coming back from that." Noélle's voice carried in the abrupt silence after a moment.

It was then that the hair stood up on Leon's neck. He spun his head around to cry out a warning as **one after another, more than ten fresh fissures appeared in the stone pavement.

* * *

**

(I could end the chapter here, which is where Yoshida did… but I promised a thrilling conclusion, didn't I?)

Under the sound of gunfire, gargled screams and the smell of sweat and blood, Sister Ester, Lady Caterina and Father Tres escaped.

"**Sorry about Barcelona, Father Nightroad. How have you been since then?" Wizard asked politely. "The curtains have at last opened on our little stage. More than anything, Father, I want you to enjoy the show."**

Mar rolled her eyes as the last member of the Schatten Cohort was sliced into pieces by Hugue's sword.

"Oooo!!! Looks like someone is a tiny bit obsessed with you, Father Nightroad." Sain said before looking Kampfer up and down. "I'd ship that."

Abel went crimson then pale in the face, clearly understanding what Sain meant when Hugue gave her a confused look.

"Cat, there is a time and place." Mar said softly, stretching her limps to get them limber. Abel shook his head before addressing a Kampfer with a lecherous grin.

"**My comrade**s are **on **their** way to the plaza," **Abel said, his eyes taking on a ruby hue. If he could become Crusnik, the terrorist would be in striking distance, the **scythe** **pulveriz**ing **his skull** in seconds. He cast at glance at 'Cat' and 'Bear', his eyes lingering on the blood soaked taller girl. They didn't need to see that. **"Silent Noise will be dismantled at once."** He continued, looking back at Kampfer. **"I'll arrest you afterward, and it will be over."**

"**Impossible, Father. Do you think we didn't anticipate such obstacles?" His dulcet voice could have calmed a death-row inmate right before his execution.**

Abel and Hugue blanched but stopped when the girls started giggling.

"You mean those Giant Worms?" Sain said softly, tilting her head to the side. "Our people are more than enough for such things." Her arm lifted up and she began firing Vera at Wizard. The bullets 'tink'ed off the defensive electromagnetic Shield of Asmoday that gathered in front of the dark man.

"Did you really think-?" A smug Kampfer, seemingly safe behind his shield suddenly gasped as a boot was propelled into his side. He flew sideways several feet before turning his attention to Mar, who had appeared in one of the blind spots in the shield.

"Only protects you in one direction, doesn't it?" Mar had a cruel smile painted on her lips.

"The number one reason that bears attack people is because that person got in between the mama bear and her cub." Sain's voice was no more than a whisper, but her point came across in the way Mar held herself, shoulders slightly hunched and nails extended like claws. "You two should stay back." She told Abel and Hugue, who were in shock. Mar was only a step or two ahead of Abel before 'Cat' fired.

Sain fired again and Kampfer had to try to shield himself on two fronts. It took an insane amount of energy to create such a powerful shield and everyone knew he couldn't hold it long.

Wizard made a hasty decision, choosing kicks and claws over bullets. The shield preventing Mar from tearing apart Kampfer was suddenly gone and another well aimed kick to his side (in the exact place as before) came far before he expected. He sailed again, hitting a wall and slumping against it.

"Mmmm… I was expecting more." Mar said in a soft, taunting voice. "But then again, you were planning for only Abel to get this far, hmmm?" She paused, drawing up to her full height again as Kampfer gave a pitiful groan, holding his side. "Oh, did I break some ribs?"

"What did you expect from him, Bear?" Sain slowly stepped forward, stalking her prey. "He is, after all, a Failure." Kampfer's head snapped up at that, gray eyes glaring malice at the small girl. "A Failed Methuselah." She pursed her lips as she mocked him. "Poor baby!"

"**Ar-O-Go-Go-Ru-Abrao! I summon you, terrible Lord of Flames, Angel of Hostility…"** His lips moved quickly and nearly without sound.

"Eh?" Mar asked him as the **pentagrams on his hands gave off a cursed light. An unspeakable vile aura spread throughout the graveyard. It grew unbearably hot.** The startled girl took a step back from him, a chill going down her spine, even as sweet trickled on her brow. Hugue wrapped an arm around a faint Sain to keep her upright, the heat in her heavy clothes making her weak.

"**Worthless one, evil one, despised one, wicked one, one who swells in the insubstantial places of the soul, my heart knows the world through you**." Kampfer chanted as he rose to his feet. Mar rushed at him, determined to stop him before he finished.

"**Lord of the exalted Darkness that you yourself produced, give me your flames."**

"Abel, FIRE AT HIM." Mar shouted when she realized he was too far.

"**Come, Arrow of Belial!"**

Abel raised his arm, but it was too late. Mar seemed to be **bleached pure white** and then vanished**. From out of thin air, a fireball hurled through the** air where Mar once was, blowing a hole far larger than any of them in the wall.

"MAR!" Sain called out before exhaling a sigh of relief. Mar was crouched with one hand braced against the wall, her head lowered as she gulped down air like a fish out of water, sweat pouring down her face and arms in torrents, soaking her already filthy clothes. She was, for the most part, unhurt save for a burn that marked the length of her upper arm. Her head tilted up and for a moment her eyes had a red sheen to them.

'_Is she… like me?_' Abel questioned again. She was far too fast to be human, but she could go out into the daylight, so she couldn't be a vampire. Even from this distance he could see the burn slowly knitting the skin back together: too slow to be a vampire, but far too fast to be a normal human.

"Who," Kampfer paused, finding it hard to breathe with two broken ribs. "Who is the failure now? Mar, is it? What a strange name."

Mar rose enough so that she could lean against the wall with her back, trying to stall for time. A moment ago they had it in the bag. What was this Arrow of Belial?

She didn't know how many bullets Abel had left, but Hugue was taking care of Sain, who looked terrible in this heat. "Hugue, get Sain out of here."

Sain protested while Hugue explained that she'd only be in the way now and carried her from the graveyard.

Mar pulled off her heavy shirt that she wore for the chill outside, glad she had opted for an undershirt as well. This one was far lighter, not stained in blood from the members of the Consort she had dispatched of and the heat wasn't as paralyzing as she mopped her face with the now unnecessary garment. She took another deep breath, trying to rest her screaming muscles or at least get enough of a grip on herself to push the pain away. She was startled when an arm wrapped around to help keep her upright.

"Lean on me." Abel told her, his Peacemaker out in his other hand.

"My name is short…" She over exaggerated her panting, not wanting him to think she was recovering while her arm went around Abel's neck. "For Marmaduke."

Kampfer actually chuckled a deep, hearty laugh that sent a chill down their spines, not for its strange or creepiness, but how it had a disarming quality to it.

"How many bullets do you have left?" Mar asked Abel as Kampfer laughed. He gave her a searching look wondering what she was planning on.

"Enough." The priest answered, his eyes boring into hers, trying to tell her that everything was going to be alright.

They weren't going to die here. If he had to turn into Crusnik to get them out of this alive, he would. His heart ached at the thought of her reaction, but he would not let her die if he could safe her.

"Don't worry Abel." Mar said quietly as her arm moved from around his neck to around his shoulders. "We've got back up on the way."

Before he could respond, Abel was suddenly being carried swiftly as the wall they were leaning on became no more. Mar spun them around so they were facing Kampfer again before placing a stunned Abel on his feet.

"Marvelous. Simply Mar-velous." Kampfer chuckled slightly as his own small joke. "Now, my dear, what are you?" He gave her his best disarming smile as she leaned against Abel again.

"Human, same as everyone else in the room. It's a pity, but you are too."

Kampfer opened his mouth to respond when the bell chimed. Sunset had come at last.

"**Silent Noise will start when the bell finishes ringing three times."**

**Abel looked up in consternation. The bell rang a second time.**

"**Well, one more bell. What will you do, Abel?"**

"**I….I…" Able panted as he looked down at Wizard.**

'_**Yes, if I kill this man here, everything will be settled.'**_

**Saving Rome and the beloved people who lived there was the only way he could repay his comrades' trust. Wizard was an abominable murderer. He **tried to take** countless lives until now, destroyed an entire city and **nearly killed** Noélle. What value did the life of a villain like this have? What reason was there to hesitate? **_**'It's right for me to take the life of this person on behalf of those I've loved before and those I love now. Yes, unmistakably right!**_

'_**Then, I…'**_

Could he really do it? Break the promise to never kill again?

Would _she_ ever forgive him for breaking it?

'_I'll never forgive myself.'_

"Nanomachine Crusnik 02-"

The bell rang a third time.

"Game, Set, Match."

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REVIEW!!!

As you can probably tell with this last chapter, I'm not going to have Abel forget who he is or where he's come from... or Lilith for that matter. Lets see if I can convincingly ...... oh, no spoilers for you guys yet. Ya'll have to read the rest.

Oh and I think this is my largest chapter yet... -cries-


	22. Chapter 21: Kampfer Talks Too Much

Sorry it took me so long to update. I'm taking many credits... enough people tell me I'm crazy when I tell them...

To be fair, I still don't have my 5 reviews. You know if you reviewed or not.

I did this on Wednesday, when I couldn't bweathe out of my nwose and my throat hurt. Still can't bweathe, nwose and throat hurts but I've got this.

Okay guys, time for the finish up. This here is the last chapter of the Silent Noise arc. A lot more of Yoshida-san's words than I would of liked, but they fit and I think add to the story. Again, his words are in bold.

In the original story, only Leon and Tres show up.

Also, while I am ticked off my Esther's actions during The Iblis arc, I think she's a good person/character overall (barring her appearance in the Anime which had her being just an anchor around Abel's leg).

I have the Epilogue already typed up (and longer than this chapter too!) so as soon as I get 5 reviews, we can move along. After the Epilogue, I will add Author's note that will be like a Q & A, so feel free to ask questions.

NEW PEOPLE!! PLEASE REVIEW TOO PLEASE!!!

Disclaimer: We all know what I own and what I don't. Or we all should.

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Chapter 21

Kampfer Talks Too Much

"Game, Set, Match."

Abel spun to look at Mar who had spoken, a thousand questions going through his mind. Did she work for the Orden? If so, why did she save all those people and Noélle? Just to get close to him?

A pang went through his heart as he began to accept that she betrayed him. He had felt himself opening up to her, for the first time in far too long-

Mar seemed to sense the turmoil inside of Abel and reached out her hand to him. He backed away from her hand as though it would bite.

"Father," she began crossly. "I was talking to Kampfer. We've won."

"Wai- what?" Kampfer wasn't defeated though! How did they win?

"Are you so sure about that?" Kampfer shifted his weight when Abel turned to look at him. **"It's a shame, Father. Rome is finished. You stole a half million lives. Your promise has destroyed Rome."**

"Up yours." Mar retorted before turning to Abel. "We're just the distraction, Father. The real fight is out with the Obelisk. There is no way that the others would let themselves lose."

"Yeah, Father four-eyes! Why don't you have any faith in us?!" **Such a random, casual statement seemed very incongruous. **"Are you just going to listen to this **long-haired jerk**? The senorita seems to be far more knowledgeable in this area, believe me."

Able **caught sight of **several** shadow**s** standing in the door. Leon carried the charred remains of some delicate machine**, while the Spaniard known as Snake held the **severed head of the Gnome, which dripped golden liquid.** Behind them was Bird who held up a stubborn looking Noélle, followed by Esther, Sain (in much lighter and bigger clothing that she stole from Mar's closet), and Hugue.

**Father ****Leon Garc****ía de Asturias gave Able a thumbs-up, clumsily winking with one swollen eyelid. "I'm here now. Sorry to keep you waiting, Abel."**

"**Leon!" Abel beamed. **_**If Leon is here, then Silent Noise…**_

"A couple **last-minute player**s **on the scene?"** The smile that Kampfer has recently recovered disappeared once again from his face. **He ground his teeth as he looked down at the broken machine in Leon's arm. A faint tinge of irritation shone in his eyes. "I intended to give my toy to this poor actor over here. It seems I underestimated you all a little."**

"**You long-haired jerk- you underestimated me**-

"Us!" The girls cut in.

"-**Considerably**!" Leon finished as he began to twirl the chakram on his fingers.

"**The game has gone one step too**-" Kampfer was cut off by Vera and 'Vera's evil Twin'.

"Sorry, Kampf," Sain said yelled over the gun fire. "Birdy thinks you talk too much. And I'd have to agree."

Kampfer knew he had to think quickly before Mar got enough power to attack him while he shielded from the AK-47s. He **didn't have enough power left to use complicated sorcery and he failed to destroy Rome.**

**Wizard muttered an incantation, and the pentagrams on his hands sparkled.**

**A Sylphide appeared**, the same creature Abel had battled back in Barcelona and prevented him from stopping the Silent Noise then. **The translucent, artificial ghost whipped its tentacles at the agents**, diverting their fire from Kampfer to itself.

"**What is this evil-looking thing?" Leon cried as he dodged.**

"Fanservice?"

"Time and place, Cat!"

"**Be careful! It's no use cutting the tentacles! The body- C- Caterina!" Abel's face froze in horror.**

**Wizard's form was sinking into his own shadow. He looked at Caterina, who **suddenly** stood in the doorway, watching the fight.**

"**I'm very sorry, Your Eminence. If I return empty-handed, my client won't be very understanding." Kampfer laughed, reaching out to Caterina, who didn't seem to notice what was happening. "I failed to get Rome**- Gah!"

No one pays attention to novices in Rome and this was no exception. Sister Esther had been here for months and knew how to use that to her advantage.

Sain had told them on the way that he could only have his shield in one direction without expending a lot of energy. So while everyone was busy with the Sylphide, the young red head took the opportunity to move into Kampfer's blind spot before unloading her (regrettably) last bullet into him.

Blood poured from the shoulder wound, forcing Kampfer to rethink killing Caterina. A burst of fire blowing off some of the Sylphide's tentacles coming from somewhere beyond the wall clinched it.

"**Gunslinger!" Abel cried.**

"**Affirmative." Tres broke though the wall and then stood next to Caterina**. He had left her where he thought she would be safe and he went to secure the area. When he returned to find her gone, analyst of her actions over the years told him he would find her here. **"Damage report, Duchess of Milan."**

"Like I said earlier, Kampfer. Game, Set, Match." Mar leapt into the air to kick Wizard's head in, but instead of meeting black hair, her foot met a small black shadow. **Apparently, Kampfer had summoned a **_**K**__**ünstliche Swerg**_**, or artificial dwarf, known as a shadow demon.**

There was a collective groan from a few when they realized they had more to deal with.

"**Hey, what kind of joke is this?"** Leon was one of the loudest.

**Inside the graveyard, many shadows wavered, lurching back and forth. One had lost its head and one had been cut in two, but the rest of the artificial dwarves had begun to stand up together.**

"**Wizard, are you still alive?"**

**Kampfer watched the shadow corpses rise. He heard the whisper in his ear, and he answered, "Puppeteer? Are you pulling these demon's strings?"**

"Oh!" Sain's voice carried over the roar of the fight. "It's Dietrich! Hullo D.D!" She called gleefully as her bullets ripped apart a dwarf.

"**You can't hold out long with these agents for opponents. If you're going to escape, please go quickly." The snickering voice **ignored the girl and** grew distant.**

**Kampfer cast a curious glance at the tall priest.**

**Abel's eyes, which already had returned to the color of a winter lake, were staring fixedly at Kampfer's face. Kampfer saw relief and regret, resolution and doubt, **hope and despair. **Various conflicting emotions whirled in Abel's eyes.**

"'_**Nichts abgeschmackters find' ich auf der welt, als einen teugel der verzweifelt- There is nothing in this world so insipid as the devil in despair'**_**- Goethe. Well, so be it. I'll have many other chances. Many, many, many," Wizard muttered, melting into the floor.**

"**All clear. Mission complete."**

Abel turned to look at everyone as Leon began to rant about how the Wizard escaped after all his hard work. Everyone's** clothes were in tatters. They looked like veterans returning from a war.**

"**So, Rome is all right, Father Tres?"**

"**Beginning from His Holiness**-**"**

"The short answer is 'Yes'." Sain said confidently, looking down at Mar's clothes. "Uh oh…"

"… That looks like my favorite shirt."

"… It might be."

"**I… it's, um…. I'm very happy." **Everyone turned to look at a flustered looking Abel.

"**Happy? About what?" Caterina asked.**

"**Your meaning is unclear, Father Nightroad. Request re-input."**

"**Hey, what's the matter? Did you get hit on the head?" Leon wondered** aloud, while Esther nodded.

"Oh! Let Bear kiss it better!"

"Cat! Time and place!"

Noélle, Snake, Bird and Hugue shook their heads at the two's antics, looking at Able expectantly.

**Able both laughed and cried at** everyone looking at him.

"_**Don't do so much, Abel. Everybody's with you, including me."**_

**Able ruminated over Noélle's words**, glad she would be able to tell him many more.

**He opened his mouth again. "I can't say it very eloquently- after all is said and done, though, I'm glad I'm here."**


	23. Epilogue

End of the line folks! Next is the... well, see if you can guess. Anyway, same disclaimer as before. I'm still sick and its late, so I'm not going to bother right now. Sometimes tomorrow I'll be putting up an Author's Note. It's not essential to the story, but I will be answering any questions that I failed to before. Also, I would like to take that opportunity to personally thank everyone who read/reviewed/favored/alerted this story.

But later... It's tomorrow already.

Okay, Edit: I also own Brian and Jay is based off a real person that my friend Pyro met. I just couldn't resist.

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Epilogue

**After a long time had passed, Wizard returned to Thurm. When he spoke, his voice sounded somewhat cheerful: "Comrades, friends, lovers, it doesn't matter what you call them. Do you know what the most bitter thing for a person who depends on others is?"**

"**Of course." A young man sat on the sofa across from Kampfer. Moonlight shone through the curtains, illuminating the mischievous smile that played on his handsome face.** He was feeling better about his own failure at the hands of the same tall Priest some months ago. If the Magician, second only to _mein herr_ himself, couldn't take care of Abel, no one could blame him for his similar problem. **"A romantic who depends on other people hates to lose his friends."**

"**You're wrong. It's when his friends change, Dietrich." The tip of Wizard's cigarillo burned with red light. Puffing out tobacco smoke, he smiled in satisfaction. "From this incident, I've seen his limits. I can manipulate his greatest strength into his greatest weakness."**

"And the two girls?" Dietrich had not forgotten how the smaller one knew it was him manipulating the demons. "What shall we do with them?"

"For now… we watch them. Divide them from the Priest. With their subterfuge to get into the Vatican and their destruction of Barcelona, it shouldn't be too hard. It will help with the other matter. **That Priest believes in his own strength. But the time will come when his friends will point swords at themselves. Then, he'll be on our side. How about that, **_**mein herr**_**?"**

* * *

"You must really try Sister Kate's herbal tea!" Abel exclaimed happily to Mar as he tried to guide her into the seat next to him. Snake had ordered Mar and Sain to really take a vacation this time or Bird would be 'let off her leash'. With the way that girl had fought, he didn't wonder at their reluctance not to mess with her.

He had strategically set himself near the garden to have a quiet chat with the taller of the girls. From his dealings with Sain, he knew that she would reveal nothing. Mar might be more forthcoming.

"Father Nightroad-"

"'Father Nightroad', 'Father Nightroad'! Please, we're friends! Call me Abel!" Abel again tried to get the girl into the seat beside him by tugging on her sleeve. Spotting Sain and Hugue coming their way, he waved them over.

"Father Nightroad." There was a seriousness in her voice that made him look at her. "You don't trust me." Her gray eyes were soft and sad.

"Well…" He hands went around his cup. "Not completely… Would you blame me?" He turned and gave her one of his goofy grins that hid his pain at her sadness, his glasses reflecting the light so no one could see his eyes.

It was so fast that he could only react after it happened.

Abel jumped when he saw Mar's fist inches from his face. Sain had one arm around Mar's waist and her other hand holding the wrist of the propelled fist.

"It's not him! It's not him!" the smaller girl was muttering over and over again.

Abel looked up at Mar and when he saw her face, the question on his lips died.

Mar was terrified. The Priest rose to his feet as repulsion, anger, and sadness flicked through her eyes, but the overall look within was unbridled terror. As he took a step toward her, she seemed to come back to her senses and lowered her head to shield her eyes.

"Miss Mar, are you alright?" He asked quietly as Hugue finally caught up to them. She nodded numbly before shaking off Sain.

"I'm fine, I just…" she trailed off, still not meeting his eyes but she stepped away from him when he reached out to touch her. "F- Forgive me." With that she turned and ran down the hall.

"What?" Abel was more than a little confused. The look on her face was like those who saw his Crusnik face, but then she apologized? And who is this 'him' Sain was talking about? He turned to ask the smaller girl but Hugue beat him to it.

"What was that all about?"

She paused in thought for a moment, a finger touching her lip. "Well, I think it was the way Abel smiled…"

"What's wrong with the way I smile?" _'Other than it's completely fake and it's the one that I show when I have something to hide?'_

"Well…" Sain began cheerfully, "It makes you look like you're smiling to put us at ease, but at the same time you're planning on how to kill us in our sleep."

"That's just silly! I would neve-!" The look on Sain's face cut him off before he finished. She was completely serious for a moment before turning and skipping down the hall, Hugue trailing behind with intent to get information.

For a moment Abel stood there confused as his thoughts gathered together. They led to sure one conclusion: Someone had hurt Mar.

Rage boiled in him at the thought. How-? Why-? When-?

'_None of these are getting answered here.'_ He spun on his heel to follow after the frightened girl.

* * *

Mar looked down the Via Sallustiana, remembering how the Pope- how Andro- nearly fell on one particular tile. In her mind's eye, she could see Abel coming to find her, the little dot for him in her mind's map coming ever closer as he searched for her.

A part of her wanted to be found. If he remembered their 'talk', then he would. She just didn't want to be found right away, when an old wound had been ripped open. For a moment she saw-

Her head shot up when she realized that someone she had not expected was coming up the road toward her. She saw that someone wiggle through the crowd before he was within her sight.

His blue hair was in serious need of a haircut, though the tied back look did suit his roguish features. The next thing she noticed was his trench coat and knew that Sain would insist on him getting a new one.

Before she could take in the state of the rest of his clothes, he stepped closer to her and she saw his brown eyes. Her own gray orbs became soft as she reached out to him with open arms.

"Mama Bear." The call was traditionally light hearted, but with his haunted eyes she knew he really meant it. Something terrible had happened and he was looking for comfort from the closest thing to family he had now.

"Ah, the Wondering Stray returns." He was in front of her now and she raised her hands to bring his head to her shoulder.

"Something awful has happened, Mama Bear."

"… I know."

* * *

While he was prepared to wrestle answers from Mar about what happened, Abel was not ready to see her with her arms around another man. Jealousy went through him before he could stop himself.

"Uh ooh!" Sain was suddenly by his side. Again Hugue cut him to the chase on the foremost question in his mind.

"Who is that?"

"That's Brian." She said it like it was obvious what his name was.

"Why the concern?" Abel asked tight lipped as Brian wrapped his arms around Mar and nuzzled her shoulder. His hands clinched and he had to take a deep breath to calm his sudden anger.

"Well, there is a reason why we call him 'The Grim'." She paused, hugging Hugue's arm to her chest. "He only shows up when something big is going down."

Abel found himself grinding his teeth. "I see." He really didn't, but he wasn't going to stand there and watch any longer. He turned to go back to the Vatican, trying to expel the image from his mind.

Sain sighed. "They still have a lot to go…"

"You're not going to help them?" Hugue asked, looking at her curiously from under a stray lock of hair.

She shook her head, the twin pig tails her hair was in moved with her. "Nah. It's more fun this way. Besides, she wasn't helping with you."

The blonde swordsman wrestled his arm from her grasp before settling it around her shoulders and pulling her to him.

"I- We didn't need help." He said softly, a faint blush on his features. It thrilled her more than she could say that he knew that he needed her as much as she needed him.

"Well…." She leaned into him and then huffed. "Fine, you've convinced me. Lets catch the Moronic Priest."

* * *

"Um, excuse me?" Abel was in the middle of stomping off when a small girl with a long head of golden hair approached him. "I'm afraid I'm terribly lost… Could you help me?"

He forced himself to calm down before answering her pleasantly. "Sure! It's my duty to help guide any lost lambs! Where are you head-?" He stopped and blinked when he noticed 'her' Adam's apple. His brain fizzled and died.

"JAY!!" The 'girl' spun around at hearing the familiar voice.

"SAIN!"

There was a hug and a bunch of high squeaked things said (or gushed) that no man could understand. Something to do with 'Squee'? After a moment, Sain introduced Jay.

"Papa Hugue, meet our first child, Jay. Jay, meet your father."

"Daddy!" Apparently Jay was used to Sain's insanity and took the opportunity to hug Hugue around the waist. Hugue for his part patted the tiny… child on the head.

"Sain, how many children do we have?"

"At present or in the future?"

"That's enough you three. Father Nightroad looks like he's going to break something... in his brain." Mar had returned with Brian. A part of Abel instantly warmed at seeing her smirking face but then went cold at her holding Brian's hand. Preventing himself from scowling was never so hard.

"Oh! Hello Aunty Cat! And you found Jay!" Jay released Hugue to briefly hug Mar and then crush Brian's waist. "Can't- Breathe!"

"You look better." Jay observed of Brian. "So Mama Mar helped?"

Abel's face softened. He honestly didn't have any idea what kind of relationship Mar and Brian had. What was he getting worked up about?

"Of course." He smiled, but it was sad. "Why would I come back otherwise?" He paused, looking at Sain. "Are we going?"

"Going? Where?" Abel looked between the four, waiting for someone to answer him.

"We have to go Father. If Lady Caterina doesn't take us into custody for questioning, Cardinal Medici will. So we'll be off." Mar answered before turning to Jay. "If I came out with the luggage, it would have been suspicious."

"Never fear! Jay is here!" And with that, Jay released Brian and vanished within the crowd.

"Don't worry, we'll see each other soon." Sain promised Hugue before grabbing a strand of his hair and pulling him down for a kiss. Abel turned away to see Mar looking at him curiously.

"It'll be okay Abel. I promise." She smiled softly at him before turning away.

"Wait! Mar!" He grabbed her hand to keep her from going too far away from him. "When-?" He cut himself off, feeling ridiculous. "When will I see you again?" He wouldn't meet her eyes. He couldn't. He felt like an utter moron as the seconds ticked by.

"I can't tell you the when, but I can the where." He looked at her, hopeful. "Venice."

"Eh? Why Venice?" He asked, noticing the far off look in her eye. She looked at him before answering with a shrug.

"Don't know. Not my department. Good day Father Nightroad." Mar answered, slipping her hand from his grasp.

"Say hi to Asta for me!" With Sain's parting words, she, Mar and Brian seemed to vanish into the crowd.

* * *

"The Dog acted like you predicted." The dark haired woman re-crossed her legs, sipping her tea as she gave him her report.

"Of course. Mar was always the ringleader of their little band." He smiled softly, his eyes blocked by milk-bottle glasses. "That's why I tried to kill her myself. But this time…" He leaned forward, taking a lock of her hair into his hands. "This time I have your help, don't I?" He pressed his lips to the hair while looking into her eyes.

She smiled gleefully at him. "Shall I go myself?"

He shook his head, his tied back red hair swaying with the movement. "No. Send Dragon instead… "He paused again, looking at an old manila folder with childlike drawings inside. A city was being flooded with water as a dam broke. "To Venice."

* * *

MUHAHAHAHHAHA!!! Behold my evilness and despair! Thought I was only throw the RCO at ya, didn't you? Well, Think again!!!!

REVIEW!! Please? That'll help me get started on the next one!


	24. Preview Author's Note

I know Fanfiction doesn't like me having long Author's Notes without story so...:

Preview of Got a Hunch about the Visitor:

* * *

"You know why. I don't understand how you can be so calm."

He turned to lean his back against the bar, his fingers leaving her chin. "Yes, but I am one to look at the silver lining."

She ignored the tingle his finger left on her skin as she scowled at him. "'Silver Lining'? What, pray tell, is this 'silver lining'?"

He flinched slightly at her tone. Sain and Mar had far more anger from what happened than he and June. "We aren't alone anymore."

* * *

Now back to what I wanted to talk about. Author's note:

Hello all! Thank you so much for staying with me on this project/work of love. I know I've been slow on updating lately, but outside life has put up speed bumps. But I'm on a break for a bit, so I'll start dishing out new chapters.

Some things I forgot to clear up: 'Failed Methuselah'.

A Methuselah has something called the 'Kudluk Bacillus bacteria'. That is what gives the Methuselah their long life, speed, stamina, etc. To become a Methuselah, you are either born one from two or more Methuselah parents or become infected as a normal Terran (non-Methuselah). From what I understand from the novels, it is difficult and rare for someone to survive being turned into a Methuselah from being a Terran.

A Failed Methuselah is someone who has the Bacillus but it never activates. It usually activates when the host reaches adolescent.

Basically, Sain called Kampfer a Squip, Methuselah style.

Crusnik: Vampire's vampire…..Instead of being infected by the Kudluk Bacillus, they have the 'Krusnik nanomachines'. Only five people have ever been infected with the nanomachines (from what I understand from the novels): Abel's family and a normal person. Abel's family survived, the normal person didn't.

SageofAges729! You're part right with Origa the singer being based off of Aya from Majin Tantei. She's actually a combination of some singers. She has Aya's backstory (but tweaked), Bernadette Peters' nose and Origa's name (her real name is Ol'ga Vital'evna Yakovleva, she sung Ghost in the Shell's theme song, Inner Universe).

I was going

I'll have more characters from Majin Tantei in the next story. And more Psyren things, vocabulary terms mostly. Maybe one or two characters from the series.

Harpmaker: You asked why Sain requested Amaranth from Hugue.

Wikipedia to the rescue!

"**Amaranth**, or Amarant (from the Greek _amarantos_, unwithering), a name chiefly used in poetry, and applied to Amaranth and other plants which, from not soon fading, typified immortality.

Aesop's Fables (6th century BC) compares the Rose to the Amaranth to illustrate the difference in fleeting and everlasting beauty.

A Rose and an Amaranth blossomed side by side in a garden,

and the Amaranth said to her neighbour,

"How I envy you your beauty and your sweet scent!

No wonder you are such a universal favourite."

But the Rose replied with a shade of sadness in her voice,

"Ah, my dear friend, I bloom but for a time:

my petals soon wither and fall, and then I die.

But your flowers never fade, even if they are cut;

for they are everlasting.""

Answer your question?

Also, the novels don't elaborate on how Leon destroys the Silent Noise. So I didn't either.

Yes, Mar has an accent when surprised or when she beaks characters. It's Irish. In the novels though, Ireland is called Erin and England is called Albion.

Marmaduke. Sain and Mar's names are significant but Mar is a very unusual name, so I had to find a name that it could be short for. Margret, Marah, Maram, ect, all very good girl names, but I have a soft spot in my heart for girls with boy names. Blame Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket (Tohru is a boy's name but Tohru herself is too sweet for words).

Marmaduke is both English and Gaelic for devotee of Maedoc, Maedoc meaning "generous". Mar gives so much of herself that she doesn't know who she is.

Sain is also short for something, but we'll reveal that later. Also, her nickname is important as well, seeing as she is crazy. Certifiable people.

As for where Leon's chakrams come from… I think he keeps them somewhere on his person… I really don't know where he keeps them, they don't elaborate anywhere. He just whips them out whenever. Maybe he has them as bracelets. They aren't Xena sized, they fit around his wrist.

No Sage, Mar hasn't met Cain… yet…

White Lion Rin, yes, Hugue just gives up. It's far easier to just go with Sain that to fight her. As Mar and everyone else knows. I'll have a side story (or more), about how this change came about.

Also, Hugue's had a hard enough life so far. Sain already loves him without him having to do anything…. Yes. Side story is needed.

Last and greatest question: Where do Sain and Mar's info come from?

-looks at Sain-

Sain: "Huh?" –blinks- "Um, I don't do 'where'. Ask Mar.

Mar: I don't think that's what she meant… Sorry Sage-sama, but that's a major plot thing. I'm not sure-

Moni: -cuts in-We aren't going to reveal it yet. –stares at Rioki- And neither will the author. Right, Rioki-sama?

Author: -gulps as she looks at Robyn cleaning her gun in the corner- Yes ma'am. I mean, Sir.

Abel: What? I have to wait?

Sain: You could ask Andro.

Caterina: No.

Abel: But, Lady Caterina-

Caterina: No. Miss Moondove, please close.

Author: Um, okay… I'm going to get started on the new story today! In fact, the Prologue should already be up!

I would like to thank:

alchemicmonkey, Eruruu4, Gene Sama, KIRRAA, and PirateTree for favoriting this story!

Milley02, Moonshine's Guide, and nutshell87 for story alerting!

SageofAges729, Pyro, Harpmaker, White Lion Rin, Mishka-nader, derp (put that upside-down), Verbi, Grumpy bunneh, and '. for reviewing! You've brightened my day during the toughest semesters of my life. I hope you continue to lift me up and support me!


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